1
a
: the general direction between south and west
b
: the point midway between the south and west compass points
2
Southwest
: regions or countries lying to the southwest of a specified or implied point of orientation
especially
: the southwestern part of the U.S.
1
: coming from the southwest
a southwest wind
2
: situated toward or at the southwest
the southwest corner
Examples of southwest in a Sentence
Adverb
It's about 80 miles southwest of here.
Noun
A mountain range is in the southwest of the country.
These plants grow in the Southwest.
Adjective
the southwest corner of the building
Recent Examples on the Web
David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 10 Dec. 2025
How to Get There San Diego is about 120 miles south of Los Angeles and about 85 miles southwest of Palm Springs.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 7 Dec. 2025
David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2025
Indiana Between 2 and 4 inches of snow is forecast to fall on parts of central, south central, southeast, southwest, and west central Indiana from Thursday afternoon until Friday morning.
—Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2025
South southwest wind 5 to 8 mph.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for southwest
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Adverb
Evansville is about 180 miles southwest of Indianapolis.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 10 Dec. 2025
How to Get There San Diego is about 120 miles south of Los Angeles and about 85 miles southwest of Palm Springs.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 7 Dec. 2025
Noun
Cincinnati is expected to get 2-3 inches of snow Thursday night into Friday morning, with more snow to the southwest of the city in Boone County, Kentucky and Dearborn County, Indiana.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2025
Indiana Between 2 and 4 inches of snow is forecast to fall on parts of central, south central, southeast, southwest, and west central Indiana from Thursday afternoon until Friday morning.
—Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Most counties in south central and southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and east central and southeast Indiana will be under the watch.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2025
South southwest wind 5 to 8 mph.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for southwest
Cite this Entry
“Southwest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southwest. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
southwest
1 of 3 adverb
south·west
sau̇th-ˈwest 
nautical sau̇-ˈwest
: to or toward the southwest
southwest
2 of 3 noun1
: the direction between south and west
2
capitalized
: regions or countries southwest of a point that is mentioned or understood
southwest
3 of 3 adjective1
: coming from the southwest
a southwest wind
2
: situated toward or at the southwest
the southwest corner
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