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

Tucson has one of the lowest residential per capita water usage in the southwest, at around 76 gallons per customer per day (Phoenix residents use more than 100 gallons per person per day). —Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025

With the combination of low relative humidity dropping into the 30 to 35 percent range and gusty southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph, an Increased Fire Danger statement has been issued for the Piedmont. —Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2025

Adjective

The episodic eruption has been contained within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, including the Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the southwest side of Kaluapele, Kīlauea's summit caldera. —ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025

Calm wind becoming southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon. —Katie Wiseman, Louisville Courier Journal, 7 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