northwesterly

adverb or adjective

north·​west·​er·​ly nȯr(th)-ˈwe-stər-lē 

1

: from the northwest

2

: toward the northwest

Examples of northwesterly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As the winds shift more northwesterly, smoke from the wildfires will move into the area in the afternoon and evening, creating hazy skies, the weather service said. — Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026

Parts of the western Great Lakes and Upper Midwest are expected to see poor air quality through the weekend as northwesterly winds push a plume of smoke into the region. — Aleem Agha, ABC News, 18 July 2026

The rain chance will stay near 40 per cent during the match, and winds will be northwesterly at five to 10 miles per hour. — Aaron Mentkowski, New York Times, 30 June 2026

At the foot of the rocks, far below, prevailing northwesterly winds known as the Mistral whip the sea into a frenzy. — Helen Iatrou, Travel + Leisure, 24 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for northwesterly

• southwesterly

Kids Definition

northwesterly

adverb or adjective

north·​west·​er·​ly nȯrth-ˈwes-tər-lē 

1

: from the northwest

2

: toward the northwest