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

Many live on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwestern South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska. —Nick Lentz, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026

The sites of protest include small cities such as Abadan and the Kurdish-majority Malekshahi in the southwestern Ilam province, where economic grievances, unemployment, and state neglect are stark. —Bobby Ghosh, Time, 9 Jan. 2026

In the southwestern city of Ceiba, the deafening sounds were familiar to Marisa Carreras, 75. —Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 9 Jan. 2026

Authorities in the Landes region of southwestern France reported three dead in accidents, and at least two more people were reportedly killed in the Île-de-France region around Paris, where authorities ordered trucks off the road as snowfall caused huge traffic jams on Monday. —Mike Corder, Los Angeles Times, 6 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