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

The collision involved a Robinson R22 and an Airbus H125 helicopter near McMinnville Municipal Airport, approximately 35 miles southwest of Portland, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026

The epicenter was approximately 7 miles southwest of Ridgemark, at a depth of 5 miles. — Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Noun

The storm follows India’s weakest southwest monsoon since 2015. — Sibi Arasu, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

The crime scenes range from southwest to northeast Charlotte. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026

Adjective

Polis also authorized the use of National Guard members to assist with rescue efforts in southwest Colorado. — Ava Berger, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026

Demographically, the southwest Florida region is one of the oldest in the nation. — Christopher Spata, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 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