southwestern

adjective

south·​west·​ern sau̇(th)-ˈwe-stərn 

1

: lying toward or coming from the southwest

2

often Southwestern : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated Southwest

southwesternmost

sau̇(th)-ˈwe-stərn-ˌmōst 

adjective

Examples of southwestern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

More rain to come Storms are expected to ease by Friday afternoon, with a lower-level flood threat lingering mainly in the southwestern part of the state. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 17 July 2026

These two Southwestern states had the largest increases in the drug death rate in 2025, all while drug deaths in West Virginia, once the center of the opioid epidemic, have plummeted. — Josh Katz, New York Times, 15 July 2026

The pleasures of southwestern Montana in the summertime are not exactly a secret. — Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026

Explosions in the southwestern city of Ahvaz and the southern port city of Bandar Abbas also were reported by Iranian state media on Tuesday evening. — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English sūth-westerne, from sūth south + westerne western

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing southwestern

• southwestern corn borer

Rhymes for southwestern

• northwestern
• western

Kids Definition

southwestern

adjective

south·​west·​ern sau̇(th)-ˈwes-tərn 

1

: lying toward or coming from the southwest

2

often capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of the Southwest