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

In Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province, at least three people were killed Thursday, state media reported. — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

The debris was recovered about 100 kilometers (60 miles) off Ormara, a coastal town on Pakistan’s southwestern Makran coast in Balochistan province. — ABC News, 9 July 2026

Elsewhere in South Korea, SK Hynix is expanding its production facilities in Cheongju, and developing a new cluster of fabs in the southwestern region of the country. — Kif Leswing,katie Tarasov, CNBC, 9 July 2026

Animal health experts say pet owners in areas where the screwworm is present — southern and southwestern Texas and southeastern New Mexico so far — should watch their animals closely and examine them for wounds, cuts and bites regularly. — John Hanna, Fortune, 8 July 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