southwestern

adjective

south·​west·​ern sau̇(th)-ˈwe-stərn How to pronounce southwestern (audio)
1
: lying toward or coming from the southwest
2
often capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated Southwest
southwesternmost adjective

Examples of southwestern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Located on the southwestern shore of Keuka Lake, the winery offers an amazing visitor experience and was recently rated one of the Top 5 Best Tasting Rooms in America by USA Today. Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025 Hurricane Priscilla and Tropical Storm Raymond, which were both in the Pacific, dropped 526% of the normal October rainfall in the area around southwestern Colorado, according to National Resources Conservation Service data. Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025 Most of the state is forecast to have mild temperatures, with the southwestern portion — including Madison — forecast to have warmer-than-average temperatures. Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025 The joint exercise will also focus on island defense, as Japan consists of 14,125 islands, including those in the country's southwestern waters near China and Taiwan. Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for southwestern

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of southwestern was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Southwestern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southwestern. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

southwestern

adjective
south·​west·​ern sau̇(th)-ˈwes-tərn How to pronounce southwestern (audio)
1
: lying toward or coming from the southwest
2
often capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of the Southwest

More from Merriam-Webster on southwestern

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