southwestern

adjective

south·​west·​ern sau̇(th)-ˈwe-stərn 

1

: lying toward or coming from the southwest

2

often Southwestern : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated Southwest

southwesternmost

sau̇(th)-ˈwe-stərn-ˌmōst 

adjective

Examples of southwestern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Located between northeastern Utah and southwestern Wyoming, the centerpiece of this area is the 91-mile-long Flaming Gorge Reservoir located on the Green River. —Meghan Palmer, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

Phillips, the son of Charles' sister Princess Anne, wed Harriet Sperling, a nurse working for the National Health Service, in a church ceremony in the southwestern English village of Kemble. —ABC News, 6 June 2026

Another area of low pressure is forecast to form offshore of southern and southwestern Mexico early next week, with environmental conditions also appearing conducive for some gradual development into early next week. —Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 4 June 2026

Launched in Taiwan last month to the sound of drums and a traditional lion dance, the 21,000-ton civilian vessel connects the northern Taiwan port of Keelung with the island of Ishigaki, in southwestern Japan’s idyllic Okinawa prefecture. —Wayne Chang, CNN Money, 3 June 2026

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

Phrases Containing southwestern

• southwestern corn borer

Rhymes for southwestern

• northwestern
• western

Kids Definition

southwestern

adjective

south·​west·​ern sau̇(th)-ˈwes-tərn 

1

: lying toward or coming from the southwest

2

often capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of the Southwest