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

When rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December, families quickly began returning home to areas near the front lines of the 14-year civil war — including in Idlib Province, in northwestern Syria. —Lynsey Addario, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

Scotland’s Meteorite Strike Along Scotland’s northwestern coast is a layer of rock known as the Stac Fada Member. —Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025

The confrontation occurred near North Waziristan, a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, along the volatile Afghan border. —Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025

Forecasters are watching for excessive rainfall, mainly in the northwestern parts of the state, Hood said. —Remington Miller, Arkansas Online, 28 Apr. 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