southwest

1 of 3

adverb

south·​west sau̇th-ˈwest 

nautical sau̇-ˈwest

: to, toward, or in the southwest

southwest

2 of 3

noun

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.

southwest

3 of 3

adjective

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

Adverb

The new stadium site is adjacent to Cleveland Hopkins Airport in Brook Park, about 12 miles southwest of the team’s current stadium in downtown Cleveland. —Zac Jackson, New York Times, 1 May 2026

One of the greatest running dynasties in American sports sits 53 miles southwest of Kansas City. —Pj Green april 30, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026

Noun

To the southwest, two people were wounded in overnight drone attacks on the Odesa region. —Elise Morton, Arkansas Online, 26 Apr. 2026

To the southwest, two people were wounded in overnight drone attacks on the Odesa region. —ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026

Adjective

Among the other proposals over the years was to turn it into a makerspace, something that ultimately occurred at the NEO Adult Education building on the city’s southwest side. —Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026

For optimal shade, consider planting large sweet cherry varieties on the west or southwest side of your home. —Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 24 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

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

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing southwest

• south-southwest
• southwest by south
• southwest by west
• west-southwest

Rhymes for southwest

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

Kids Definition

southwest

1 of 3 adverb

south·​west sau̇th-ˈwest 

nautical sau̇-ˈwest

: to or toward the southwest

southwest

2 of 3 noun

1

: the direction between south and west

2

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

southwest

3 of 3 adjective

1

: coming from the southwest

a southwest wind

2

: situated toward or at the southwest

the southwest corner