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

Crystal Mountain, Michigan Founded in 1956 as a community ski area, Crystal Mountain (28 miles southwest of Traverse City) has become a destination for healthful, pampering getaways. —Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 7 Jan. 2026

The site of the fire is about 11 miles northwest of Bailey and 50 miles southwest of Denver. —Austen Erblat, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026

Noun

The traffic issues came from the DOT's attempt to bring in traffic from the southwest mixmaster, said Caleb Wright, a transportation engineer associate for the Iowa DOT's Grimes office. —Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register, 8 Jan. 2026

Areas southwest of the city and in Northwest Indiana can expect a severe storm threat. —Laura Bannon, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026

Adjective

Fans were buzzing Thursday evening at a playoff pep rally at the Wintrust Sports Complex in southwest suburban Bedford Park, where the village hosted a Ben Johnson lookalike contest. —Victor Jacobo, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026

The south and southwest suburbs saw a 35% decrease in homicides in 2025 compared to 2024, according to tracking by the Daily Southtown, reflecting a continuing downward trend in recent years. —Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 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