northwesterly

adverb or adjective

north·​west·​er·​ly nȯr(th)-ˈwe-stər-lē How to pronounce northwesterly (audio)
1
: from the northwest
2
: toward the northwest

Examples of northwesterly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Gusty northwesterly winds quickly pushed the clouds toward the coast, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brad Nitz on Sunday. Joe Kovac, AJC.com, 18 Jan. 2026 Temperatures aside, strong northwesterly flow behind the front will focus heavy lake effect snows in the northerly snow belts of the Great Lakes, the weather service said. Doyle Rice, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026 Cooler With Light Snow Chances A cooling trend is on the way for Thanksgiving week as northwesterly flow develops. Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2025 This will be the time frame for the bulk of the snow which is likely going to accumulate in the preferred north northwesterly flow regions of NE OH/NW PA, and confined further east late Monday night into Tuesday when flow turns westerly. Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for northwesterly

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of northwesterly was circa 1611

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Northwesterly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/northwesterly. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

northwesterly

adverb or adjective
north·​west·​er·​ly nȯrth-ˈwes-tər-lē How to pronounce northwesterly (audio)
1
: from the northwest
2
: toward the northwest

More from Merriam-Webster on northwesterly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!