southwestern

adjective

south·​west·​ern sau̇(th)-ˈwe-stərn 

1

: lying toward or coming from the southwest

2

often Southwestern : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated Southwest

southwesternmost

sau̇(th)-ˈwe-stərn-ˌmōst 

adjective

Examples of southwestern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Declining vaccination rates The worst spread has been in the southwestern part of the state, where 265 people have fallen ill with the vaccine-preventable disease since last summer. —Devi Shastri, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026

Unlike their relatives, ASHWs typically only move within the Arabian Sea in the southwestern portion of the Indian Ocean. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 19 June 2026

Across southwestern Pennsylvania, there have been multiple recent sightings of black bears. —Lauren Linder, CBS News, 19 June 2026

The shower's radiant — the point from which the meteors appear to originate — lies in the constellation Boötes, which sits high in the western and southwestern sky during the evening for observers in the Northern Hemisphere. —Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 19 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English sūth-westerne, from sūth south + westerne western

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing southwestern

• southwestern corn borer

Rhymes for southwestern

• northwestern
• western

Kids Definition

southwestern

adjective

south·​west·​ern sau̇(th)-ˈwes-tərn 

1

: lying toward or coming from the southwest

2

often capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of the Southwest