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 Rosman area, about 9 miles southwest of Brevard, has a more active history of earthquakes, with nearly two dozen minor earthquakes reported since 2000, records show. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 23 Sep. 2026

The restaurant is housed in a former ironmongery in Le Cinque Vie, a delightful district that lies southwest of the Duomo, where quirky stores and family-run restaurants sit snugly beside art galleries. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Sep. 2026

Noun

Remnants of Pacific Ocean Hurricane Polo continue moving in from the southwest and moisture from the Gulf Coast is coming in from the southeast, forecasters say. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2026

Nolo, meanwhile, was well southwest of Hawaii and moving away from the Big Island as the weekend drew to a close, but a wind advisory and high surf advisory remained in effect for parts of the island through Monday morning. — Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026

Adjective

The president plans to campaign with Husted in Vandalia, near Dayton in southwest Ohio. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Tropical moisture will bring rounds of rain to Colorado beginning Monday, with the greatest flooding concern starting in southwest Colorado before shifting east. — Joe Ruch, CBS News, 28 Sep. 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