northwest

1 of 3

adverb

north·​west nȯrth-ˈwest 

nautical

nȯr-ˈwest 

: to, toward, or in the northwest

northwest

2 of 3

adjective

1

: coming from the northwest

a northwest wind

2

: situated toward or at the northwest

the northwest corner

northwest

3 of 3

noun

1

a

: the general direction between north and west

b

: the point midway between the north and west compass points

2

Northwest : regions or countries lying to the northwest of a specified or implied point of orientation

Examples of northwest in a Sentence

Adverb

It's about 80 miles northwest of here.

I headed northwest on Route 1.

Adjective

the northwest corner of the building

Noun

A mountain range is in the northwest of the country.

We traveled throughout the Northwest.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

The airstrikes came after a month of deadly attacks within Pakistan, the most recent being the killing of two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, by militants in the country’s northwest on Saturday, officials said. —Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026

There were six survivors of the avalanche, which struck near Castle Peak, just northwest of Lake Tahoe in California's Sierra Nevada. —Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026

Adjective

West northwest wind six to nine miles per hour. —Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 20 Feb. 2026

Further, Harris said the Chicago Bears have a history in northwest Indiana as George Halas, who founded the Chicago Bears, began his professional career in Hammond playing for the Hammond All-Stars. —Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026

Noun

Temperatures in South Florida will drop significantly beginning Sunday night, with low temperatures in the 40s that are expected to feel much colder due to a vigorous northwest wind. —Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026

Hours before the Pakistani strikes, a suicide bomber targeted a security convoy in the border district of Bannu in Pakistan’s northwest, killing two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel. —Munir Ahmed, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing northwest

• north-northwest
• northwest by north
• northwest by west
• the northwest
• west-northwest

Rhymes for northwest

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• bequest
• caressed

Kids Definition

northwest

1 of 3 adverb

north·​west nȯrth-ˈwest 

nautical

nȯr-ˈwest 

: to or toward the northwest

northwest

2 of 3 noun

1

: the direction between north and west

2

capitalized : the regions or countries northwest of a point that is mentioned or understood

northwest

3 of 3 adjective

1

: coming from the northwest

a northwest wind

2

: placed or lying toward or at the northwest

the northwest corner

Geographical Definition

North West

geographical name

variants or Noordwes

ˌnȯrd-ˈwes 

ˌnȯrt-

province of the northern part of the Republic of South Africa bordering Botswana area 44,861 square miles (116,190 square kilometers), population 3,509,953