northwestern

adjective

north·​west·​ern nȯr(th)-ˈwe-stərn 

1

often capitalized : 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

The high-pressure system is expected to weaken and shift east next week, bringing the possibility of rain, mainly for northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas, the weather service said. —Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025

Out-of-state wildfires had also prompted alerts across northwestern Colorado. —Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025

Sami herders are descended from a once-nomadic people scattered across a region spanning the far north of Sweden, Norway, Finland and the northwestern corner of Russia. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025

Tropical Storm Lorena, which is forecast to move into northwestern Mexico in the coming days, was a hurricane and has since weakened. —Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2025

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