upstream
Americanadverb
adjective
-
directed upstream; situated upstream.
an upstream journey; an upstream hideout.
-
Commerce. of or relating to the early stages in the operations of a business or industry, as exploration and production in the oil business (downstream ).
-
against or opposite to the direction of transcription, translation, or synthesis of a DNA, RNA, or protein molecule.
adverb
-
in or towards the higher part of a stream; against the current
-
(in the oil industry) of or for any of the stages prior to oil production, such as exploration or research Compare downstream
Etymology
Origin of upstream
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That uncertainty has seen a shift from "downstream" companies that run apps and software to "upstream" firms such as chipmakers, many of which are based in Asia.
From Barron's
With renewed determination, at least on Duane’s part, the two explorers followed the river upstream in the hope of finding a less splashy way across it.
From Literature
However, some oil may bypass the containment and there is still some oil present in upstream watercourses.
From BBC
Net income in its upstream unit was 5% above consensus while its industrial unit came in 8% ahead, the analysts write.
Quarterly earnings in the upstream unit were hit by weaker oil prices but its industrial unit benefited from higher refining margins, Repsol said Thursday.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
