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 aurora borealis — the phenomenon more commonly known as the northern lights — was spotted all across southwestern Pennsylvania, including in Butler, Indiana, Westmoreland, Washington and Venango counties. —Michael Guise, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026

Elections for governor have been dominated by candidates from the Milwaukee and Madison areas, along with plenty of others from central, southwestern and eastern Wisconsin. —Craig Gilbert, jsonline.com, 21 Jan. 2026

Outside of the southwestern corner, central Oklahoma areas like Carter, Murray, and Pontotoc counties are all expected to only see a 15-25% chance of rain throughout. —Josh Kelly, Oklahoman, 20 Jan. 2026

Northern lights were reported across mid-latitudes, with sightings stretching from Germany to the southwestern United States, including New Mexico, during a night of rapidly fluctuating geomagnetic conditions that fluctuated between G1, G2, G3 and G4 storm levels. —Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 20 Jan. 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