northwestward

1 of 2

adverb or adjective

north·​west·​ward nȯr(th)-ˈwes-twərd 

: toward the northwest

northwestwards

nȯr(th)-ˈwes-twərdz 

adverb

northwestward

2 of 2

noun

: northwest

Examples of northwestward in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb or adjective

The smoke from this fire is moving north and northwestward on Monday morning due to a light southeast breeze, but later on the smoke could hover over parts of western Broward County and then move westward. — Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 11 May 2026

This system is expected to move slowly northwestward during the next day or two, reaching the coast of Texas by Monday. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025

Noun

Outside of a brief pause late on October 8, Hurricane Michael continued to intensify while turning north-northwestward and then northward between October 9 and 10. — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026

Cristina is forecast to move slowly northwestward to west-northwestward through the middle of the week, with Cristina moving near or along the coasts of Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador during the next couple of days. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 9 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb Or Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1758, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for northwestward

• southwestward
• westward

Kids Definition

northwestward

adverb or adjective

north·​west·​ward

nȯrth-ˈwes-twərd

: toward the northwest

northwestwards

-twərdz

adverb