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

Councilmember Bob Blumenfield is terming out in District 3, leaving the race to represent the southwestern San Fernando Valley open to a newcomer. —Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026

Though most of Southwestern states have deployed the beetle to rid the rife stands of tamarisk, Arizona has balked. —Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026

Just like on the north side of the Arabian Peninsula, there is another narrow waterway, the Bab el Mandab, that separates the southwestern tip of the peninsula from Africa, specifically Djibouti. —Luis Martinez, ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026

One brief exception came on March 6 when two aircraft were detected in the far southwestern corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, but analysts say the broader pattern still represented a striking break from recent years of steadily increasing Chinese military activity. —Wayne Chang, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 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