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

The earthquake's epicenter was roughly 2 miles northwest of Anderson Springs and occurred at a depth of 1 mile. —Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026

After plans for a second Meridian In-N-Out were denied due to traffic concerns, the city is set to welcome In-N-Out at The District at Ten Mile, a massive commercial development under construction northwest of the Ten Mile Interchange, according to Statesman reporting. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 7 May 2026

Adjective

Some northwest Georgia lawmakers have sought to counter these lawsuits by introducing state legislation that would restrict the ability of cities and residents to sue carpet companies. —Dylan Jackson, ABC News, 6 May 2026

Adrian Williams knew something was wrong when the police vehicles pulled up near his parked car outside a Planet Fitness in northwest Indiana. —Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026

Noun

Two centers at Tarrant County College’s south and northwest campuses are slated to open in the fall, according to Child Care Associates. —Lina Ruiz may 7, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026

Our wind direction shifts from south to northwest and temperatures will drop into the 50s during the overnight. —Cutter Martin, CBS News, 6 May 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