northwestern

adjective

north·​west·​ern nȯr(th)-ˈwe-stərn 

1

often Northwestern : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated Northwest

2

: lying toward or coming from the northwest

northwesternmost

nȯr(th)-ˈwe-stərn-ˌmōst 

adjective

Examples of northwestern in a Sentence

the northwestern corner of the state

Recent Examples on the Web

Militants attacked a police post in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, triggering a gunbattle that killed five police officers and wounded about two dozen others, officials said. — ABC News, 29 July 2026

Beginning in the Mississippi Delta Technique and instruments The roots of Chicago blues are in Delta blues, an acoustic style that originated in the Delta region of northwestern Mississippi. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026

In the mid-2010s, Northwestern football players tried to unionize, and more recently Dartmouth men’s basketball players made a similar attempt. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 July 2026

My grandparents are buried side by side in a small village in northwestern Haiti, where their graves absorb the salty wind from the Atlantic Ocean. — Literary Hub, 27 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for northwestern

• southwestern
• western

Kids Definition

northwestern

adjective

north·​west·​ern nȯrth-ˈwes-tərn 

1

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

2

: lying toward or coming from the northwest