southwestern

adjective

south·​west·​ern sau̇(th)-ˈwe-stərn How to pronounce southwestern (audio)
1
: lying toward or coming from the southwest
2
often capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated Southwest
southwesternmost adjective

Examples of southwestern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The sheriff’s office and the Coast Guard responded about 3 p.m. Saturday to reports that 10 people were in the water next to a capsized boat near California’s D.L. Bliss State Park, at the southwestern end of the lake. Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 23 June 2025 Meteorologists attributed the outbreak to a persistent heat dome over the southwestern U.S., which created conditions for destructive thunderstorms across the Northern Plains, Midwest, Northeast, and beyond. Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025 Kansas has a total of 79 cases across 11 counties in the southwestern part of the state, with three hospitalizations. Devi Shastri, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025 Triple digits are expected in parts of Kansas, Nebraska and southwestern Minnesota. Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 21 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for southwestern

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English sūth-westerne, from sūth south + westerne western

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of southwestern was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Southwestern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southwestern. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

southwestern

adjective
south·​west·​ern sau̇(th)-ˈwes-tərn How to pronounce southwestern (audio)
1
: lying toward or coming from the southwest
2
often capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of the Southwest

More from Merriam-Webster on southwestern

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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