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 the southwestern corner of Umbria, Orvieto rises dramatically on a volcanic rock cliff, home to a dazzling Gothic cathedral and a labyrinth of Etruscan tunnels beneath its streets. —Matteo Della Grazia, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2025

The anxiety stirred by the shutdown persists in the lines at food pantries in this southwestern Missouri county and echoes through households nationwide. —Adam Geller, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2025

The word Sasquatch comes from Sasq’ets, which is from the Halq’emeylem language of Coast Salish First Nations peoples from southwestern British Columbia. —Sarah Sekula, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025

The body of a climber who died sometime on Saturday was recovered in southwestern Colorado on Sunday, search and rescue officials said. —Austen Erblat, CBS News, 18 Nov. 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