southwest

1 of 3

adverb

south·​west sau̇th-ˈwest 

nautical sau̇-ˈwest

: to, toward, or in the southwest

southwest

2 of 3

noun

1

a

: the general direction between south and west

b

: the point midway between the south and west compass points

2

Southwest : regions or countries lying to the southwest of a specified or implied point of orientation

especially : the southwestern part of the U.S.

southwest

3 of 3

adjective

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

Adverb

Scientists also struggled to explain strange chemical deposits rich in thorium and iron found southwest of the basin. —Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 9 May 2026

The rural town is about 140 miles southwest of Atlanta and next to the Georgia-Alabama state line. —Lautaro Grinspan, AJC.com, 9 May 2026

Noun

The earthquake's epicenter was about 1 mile southwest of Brawley and occurred at a depth of 3 miles. —Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2026

Winds will be light out of the southwest ranging from five to 10 miles per hour. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 8 May 2026

Adjective

Jason Stepp, the division chief of operations for the Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue department, said about noon that the southwest portion of the fire is under control, while the northwest portion continues to actively burn and spread. —Megan Vaz, Sun Sentinel, 11 May 2026

The storm touched down in southwest Lubbock and cut a path through downtown, killing 26 people, injuring more than 1,500 and causing more than $100 million in damage. —Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 11 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

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

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing southwest

• south-southwest
• southwest by south
• southwest by west
• west-southwest

Rhymes for southwest

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• bequest
• caressed

Kids Definition

southwest

1 of 3 adverb

south·​west sau̇th-ˈwest 

nautical sau̇-ˈwest

: to or toward the southwest

southwest

2 of 3 noun

1

: the direction between south and west

2

capitalized : regions or countries southwest of a point that is mentioned or understood

southwest

3 of 3 adjective

1

: coming from the southwest

a southwest wind

2

: situated toward or at the southwest

the southwest corner