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

Carver and his producing partner Udovich have spent a lot of time in Joliet, located 40 miles southwest of Chicago, with the local cops. —Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025

Located about 70 miles southwest of Raleigh, Pinehurst has a population of nearly 19,000. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Nov. 2025

Noun

Allen Park is about a 15-mile drive southwest from downtown Detroit. —Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 12 Nov. 2025

Gemini 9 was flying over Baja California, and Cernan could see the blue of the water against the green-brown spit of land and the rusty red surface of the desert southwest stretching in all directions. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Nov. 2025

Adjective

In southwest Detroit, data shows a lack of available licensed child care seats, leaving some parents to turn to unlicensed care. —Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 15 Nov. 2025

What's happening in southwest Florida is a warning for communities around the country, says David Burt, chief executive of DeltaTerra Capital, an investment research and consulting firm focused on climate risks. —Lauren Sommer, NPR, 12 Nov. 2025

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