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

Attackers at his home Seif al-Islam, 53, was killed on Tuesday inside his home in the town of Zintan, 85 miles southwest of the capital, Tripoli, according to Libyan’s chief prosecutor’s office. —Yousef Murad, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026

Calm wind becoming south southwest around 5 mph. —Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026

Noun

Winds will shift from the southwest to the northwest, bringing gusts between 30 and 40 mph. —Karen Carter, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026

Sanchez and Associates is leading the Powder Creek Ranch project, a 400-acre, mixed-use development that will include thousands of homes near the intersection of Sam Rayburn Highway and State Highway 56 in southwest Bonham. —Nick Wooten, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026

Adjective

The advisory encompasses all of southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and southeast Indiana. —Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Feb. 2026

Lower accumulations are expected to the more southwest part of the state. —Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 6 Feb. 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