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

The first evidence of person-to-person transmission came from an outbreak that occurred from 1996 to 1997, starting in the southwestern Argentine town of El Bosón. —ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026

The Supreme Court’s ruling affirms a decision by a judge in rural Tazewell County, in southwestern Virginia. —David A. Lieb, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026

The three-page menu includes soups, salads, enchiladas, fajitas, tacos and other Southwestern staples. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2026

His experience gave him extensive, intimate knowledge of the southwestern United States, shaping his writing, which explored such themes as the sublime and forbidding wilderness, and human encroachment on nature. —René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 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