northwest

1 of 3

adverb

north·​west nȯrth-ˈwest 

nautical

nȯr-ˈwest 

: to, toward, or in the northwest

northwest

2 of 3

adjective

1

: coming from the northwest

a northwest wind

2

: situated toward or at the northwest

the northwest corner

northwest

3 of 3

noun

1

a

: the general direction between north and west

b

: the point midway between the north and west compass points

2

Northwest : regions or countries lying to the northwest of a specified or implied point of orientation

Examples of northwest in a Sentence

Adverb

It's about 80 miles northwest of here.

I headed northwest on Route 1.

Adjective

the northwest corner of the building

Noun

A mountain range is in the northwest of the country.

We traveled throughout the Northwest.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Lottery officials in the state said the winning ticket was sold in Van Wert, Ohio, about 100 miles northwest of Columbus. —Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026

Investigating the scene The crash happened about 30 miles northwest of Charlotte. —Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 11 Apr. 2026

Adjective

Prairie Pedlar Odebolt, Iowa Surrounded by Jolly Time popcorn fields in a pocket of rural northwest Iowa, Prairie Pedlar has been a family business for 40-plus years. —Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 10 Apr. 2026

Tarrant County Commissioners are set to discuss giving up control of a private road in northwest Tarrant County that is being maintained with county tax dollars. —Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2026

Noun

First responders rescued a horse from an overflowing creek near Marengo, Illinois, northwest of Chicago this weekend. —Adam Harrington, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026

Thirteen of the group were hit by an avalanche that swept down a slope on Perry’s Peak, northwest of Frog Lake. —Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

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

Noun

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

Phrases Containing northwest

• north-northwest
• northwest by north
• northwest by west
• the northwest
• west-northwest

Rhymes for northwest

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• bequest
• caressed

Kids Definition

northwest

1 of 3 adverb

north·​west nȯrth-ˈwest 

nautical

nȯr-ˈwest 

: to or toward the northwest

northwest

2 of 3 noun

1

: the direction between north and west

2

capitalized : the regions or countries northwest of a point that is mentioned or understood

northwest

3 of 3 adjective

1

: coming from the northwest

a northwest wind

2

: placed or lying toward or at the northwest

the northwest corner

Geographical Definition

North West

geographical name

variants or Noordwes

ˌnȯrd-ˈwes 

ˌnȯrt-

province of the northern part of the Republic of South Africa bordering Botswana area 44,861 square miles (116,190 square kilometers), population 3,509,953