southwestern

adjective

south·​west·​ern sau̇(th)-ˈwe-stərn 

1

: lying toward or coming from the southwest

2

often capitalized : 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 new species was found in southwestern Russia, near the northwestern border of Kazakhstan. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2025

Much of the series takes place on South Korea’s Jeju Island, located off the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula. —Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025

The excavation took place in Agrigento, Italy, on the southwestern coast of Sicily. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025

Tornado watches were in effect Sunday for parts of those two states in addition to pockets of eastern Oklahoma and various places in southwestern, central and northern Texas. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2025

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