1
a
: the general direction between south and west
b
: the point midway between the south and west compass points
2
capitalized
: regions or countries lying to the southwest of a specified or implied point of orientation
especially
: the southwestern part of the U.S.
1
: coming from the southwest
a southwest wind
2
: situated toward or at the southwest
the southwest corner
Examples of southwest in a Sentence
Adverb
It's about 80 miles southwest of here.
Noun
A mountain range is in the southwest of the country.
These plants grow in the Southwest.
Adjective
the southwest corner of the building
Recent Examples on the Web
Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Deadly blast near Nashville The explosion occurred at Accurate Energetic Systems (AES), a company that manufactures and tests explosives, near Bucksnort — about 60 miles southwest of Nashville.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
Mark Price, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2025
Derrick Groves, the final fugitive from a mass jailbreak in New Orleans in May, is now in custody after police in Atlanta surrounded a home in the city’s southwest on Wednesday afternoon.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2025
What To Know A DHS review of Drug Enforcement Administration material said gangs operating in southwest Chicago neighborhoods, including Pilsen and Little Village, were presented with bounties to carry out assassinations of federal officers, according to the Washington Examiner.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for southwest
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Adverb
The epicenter was located about 9 miles southwest of Ferndale, at a depth of 11 miles.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Deadly blast near Nashville The explosion occurred at Accurate Energetic Systems (AES), a company that manufactures and tests explosives, near Bucksnort — about 60 miles southwest of Nashville.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
Lake City is about a 60-mile drive southwest from Jacksonville.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2025
Derrick Groves, the final fugitive from a mass jailbreak in New Orleans in May, is now in custody after police in Atlanta surrounded a home in the city’s southwest on Wednesday afternoon.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Sheriff’s officials were investigating after skeletal remains believed to be human were found Thursday in a rural area in southwest Sacramento County.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2025
What To Know A DHS review of Drug Enforcement Administration material said gangs operating in southwest Chicago neighborhoods, including Pilsen and Little Village, were presented with bounties to carry out assassinations of federal officers, according to the Washington Examiner.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for southwest
Cite this Entry
“Southwest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southwest. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
southwest
1 of 3 adverb
south·west
sau̇th-ˈwest 
nautical sau̇-ˈwest
: to or toward the southwest
southwest
2 of 3 noun1
: the direction between south and west
2
capitalized
: regions or countries southwest of a point that is mentioned or understood
southwest
3 of 3 adjective1
: coming from the southwest
a southwest wind
2
: situated toward or at the southwest
the southwest corner
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