downstream
gb/dˈaʊnstɹˈim/ us/dˈaʊnstɹˈim/
B2
Anglais
~ 9100
Sens
0 sens
adverb
B2
relation
1
In the direction of flowing water
In the same direction that a river or water moves, away from where it starts.
Schéma d’usage :
to go/move/float downstream (from [a place])
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse "downstream" with "downstairs" or "downward". "Downstream" is used for movement in the direction of flowing water or another flow, not simply "down" in space or inside a building. It is not used with people in a house (say "go downstairs", not "go downstream").
Synonymes
downriver (Used mainly for rivers; slightly more specific to rivers than general liquid flow.)
|
with the current (Describes moving in the same direction as the water; more descriptive and informal.)
Antonymes
upstream (Means toward the source of the water, the opposite direction to downstream.)
Collocations
flow downstream
|move downstream
|drift downstream
|travel downstream
|carry [something] downstream
|downstream from the dam
Thèmes
nature
|geography
|space
Exemples
- The boat drifted downstream after the engine failed.
- Pollution from the factory can be detected many miles downstream.
- We started our kayak trip near the bridge and paddled downstream to the next town.
- Fish tend to spread downstream during the rainy season.
- A fallen tree blocked the river, and logs piled up just downstream.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The water moves quickly downstream.
- They took a small boat and went downstream.
- Oil from the ship spread downstream along the river.
- The town is ten kilometers downstream from the dam.
- Leaves float downstream in the autumn.
adjective
C1
property
2
At a later stage in a process
Happening or placed later in a process or system, usually because of something that happened before.
Schéma d’usage :
[downstream] [effects/processes/tasks/activities] of [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes think "downstream effects" are physical things related to rivers. In business, science, and technology, "downstream" often means "later in a process" or "caused by something earlier", not literally connected to water. Another confusion is using "after effects" in very formal writing where "downstream effects" is more natural in process-focused discussions.
Synonymes
subsequent (More formal; focuses on time order rather than process structure.)
|
later-stage (Common in business and project contexts; emphasizes order within a process.)
Antonymes
upstream (In process language, refers to earlier stages or inputs, the opposite of downstream outputs or effects.)
|
prior (Stresses something happening before an event rather than resulting from it.)
Collocations
downstream effects
|downstream impact
|downstream consequences
|downstream processes
|downstream tasks
|downstream services
Thèmes
business
|technology
|science
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- These bugs in the core system are causing serious downstream effects for our customers.
- If we change the pricing model, we need to think about the downstream impact on sales and support.
- Good data governance reduces many downstream problems in reporting and analytics.
- The team only handles downstream tasks once the design has been approved.
- Cutting corners at this stage will create downstream risks for the entire project.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Bad decisions today can have many downstream problems in the future.
- We must think about downstream effects before we act.
- This rule change will have big downstream impact on small companies.
- Better training of staff will reduce downstream customer complaints.
- The software team deals with downstream issues after the product is launched.
adjective
B2
property
3
Located further along a flow
In a place that is farther along a river or water flow, in the same direction the water moves.
Schéma d’usage :
[a/an/the] downstream [town/area/side/end/community]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes add an unnecessary preposition and say "in the downstream town" when they simply mean "the downstream town". Use it directly before the noun ("downstream town", "downstream village"), not with "in" or "at" unless you are also naming the place ("in the downstream town of X").
Synonymes
downriver (Used specifically for locations along a river; very close in meaning in river contexts.)
Antonymes
upstream (Refers to places closer to the source of the river or flow, in the opposite direction.)
Collocations
downstream communities
|downstream towns
|downstream areas
|downstream side
|downstream end
|downstream users
Thèmes
nature
|geography
Exemples
- Several downstream communities depend on this dam for drinking water.
- The downstream side of the bridge is more affected by erosion.
- Farmers in downstream areas complained about reduced water flow.
- We measured pollution levels at several downstream sites.
- Downstream villages were flooded after heavy rain in the mountains.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Many downstream towns get their water from this river.
- The downstream area has a lot of farms.
- People in downstream villages were told to leave because of the flood.
- The factory sends dirty water into the river, and downstream communities are worried.
- Fish are dying in the downstream part of the lake.
adjective
technical
C2
property
4
Further along a biological pathway
In biology or chemistry, happening or placed later in a chain of reactions or in a DNA or cell signal path, starting from a fixed point.
Schéma d’usage :
[a/an/the] downstream [gene/target/pathway/effect]
Erreur fréquente :
In scientific writing, learners sometimes use "later" or "next" where "downstream" is more precise because it refers to position in a defined pathway or sequence, not just time. Another mistake is mixing up "downstream" and "lower" when describing positions on DNA or proteins; "downstream" is relative to a standard direction (such as 5' to 3'), not necessarily lower on a page or diagram.
Synonymes
distal (Technical; can mean further away along a structure or pathway, but usage depends on specific subfield.)
|
downstream of (Prepositional form used to describe position relative to another element in a sequence.)
Antonymes
upstream (In molecular biology, refers to regions or events earlier in the sequence or pathway, such as upstream regulatory elements.)
Collocations
downstream gene
|downstream target
|downstream signaling
|downstream pathway
|downstream effectors
|downstream response
Thèmes
science
|medicine
Exemples
- Activation of this receptor triggers multiple downstream signaling pathways.
- The mutation affects a downstream gene involved in cell division.
- These drugs block a downstream step in the inflammatory response.
- We observed reduced expression of several downstream targets of the transcription factor.
- Downstream effects include changes in hormone levels and gene transcription.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The hormone starts a signal that has many downstream steps in the cell.
- A change in one protein can change many downstream reactions.
- This drug blocks a downstream part of the pain pathway.
- The problem is not in this gene but in a downstream gene it controls.
- Scientists studied the downstream effects of this mutation.
Nom
technical
C1
entity
5
Refining and marketing sector
In the oil and gas industry, the business of turning oil and gas into products like fuel and selling them to customers.
Schéma d’usage :
the downstream; upstream and downstream
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may assume "downstream" as a noun has the same broad meaning as the adjective or adverb. In business news, "the downstream" usually refers specifically to the refining and marketing part of the oil and gas industry, not just anything that happens later.
Synonymes
refining and marketing (Describes the main activities of the downstream sector in more everyday business language.)
Antonymes
upstream (Refers to exploration and production activities that come before downstream refining and marketing.)
|
midstream (In industry jargon, midstream covers transport and storage, sitting between upstream and downstream.)
Collocations
the downstream sector
|downstream operations
|upstream and downstream
|downstream business
|downstream activities
|downstream segment
Thèmes
business
|industry
|technology
Exemples
- The company plans to invest more heavily in its downstream operations.
- Profits fell in the upstream business but rose in downstream refining and marketing.
- Environmental rules are increasing costs across the downstream sector.
- They are trying to expand their downstream presence in Asian markets.
- The merger will create one of the largest downstream players in Europe.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He works in the downstream part of an oil company.
- Many jobs in the downstream sector are in refineries.
- The company wants to grow its downstream business.
- New rules make downstream operations more expensive.
- Profits from downstream helped the company during low oil prices.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
downstream
API
GB/dˈaʊnstɹˈim/
US/dˈaʊnstɹˈim/
Syllabes et accentuation
down - stream (2 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (down)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: downstream
Famille de mots
Core family
stream
noun A2
Negative and opposite forms
upstream
adverb
Expressions
downstream effects
1/dˈaʊnstɹˈim ɪfˈɛkts/
fixed phrase
Effects that show up later
Results that appear later in a process because of something that happened before.
Exemples
- We need to think about the downstream effects of cutting the education budget.
- Poor data quality can have serious downstream effects on decision-making.
- The policy had unexpected downstream effects on small businesses.
downstream from
1/dˈaʊnstɹˈim fɹˈʌm/
fixed phrase
Located further along a flow
In a place that is farther along a river, pipe, or other flow, starting from a named place.
Exemples
- The village lies about ten kilometers downstream from the dam.
- Factories downstream from the city complained about the new water rules.
- The water is cleaner a few miles downstream from the industrial area.
downstream processing
1/dˈaʊnstɹˈim pɹˈɑsɛsɪŋ/
fixed phrase
technical
Later steps to purify a product
In biotechnology or manufacturing, the steps after the main production, where a product is cleaned, separated, and prepared for use.
Exemples
- Downstream processing is often the most expensive part of biopharmaceutical production.
- Improved downstream processing can increase yield and reduce costs.
- The team is focusing on automating downstream processing steps.
upstream and downstream
1/ˈʌpstɹˈim ˈænd dˈaʊnstɹˈim/
fixed phrase
Earlier and later stages together
Both the early parts and the later parts of a river, process, system, or business chain.
Exemples
- We need to coordinate teams working upstream and downstream on this project.
- The company operates upstream and downstream, from oil production to fuel sales.
- Changes in regulation will affect both upstream and downstream activities.