southwest

1 of 3

adverb

south·​west sau̇th-ˈwest 

nautical sau̇-ˈwest

: to, toward, or in the southwest

southwest

2 of 3

noun

1

a

: the general direction between south and west

b

: the point midway between the south and west compass points

2

Southwest : regions or countries lying to the southwest of a specified or implied point of orientation

especially : the southwestern part of the U.S.

southwest

3 of 3

adjective

1

: coming from the southwest

a southwest wind

2

: situated toward or at the southwest

the southwest corner

Examples of southwest in a Sentence

Adverb

It's about 80 miles southwest of here.

Noun

A mountain range is in the southwest of the country.

These plants grow in the Southwest.

Adjective

the southwest corner of the building

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Oseguera Cervantes was wounded in an operation to capture him Sunday in Tapalpa, Jalisco about two hours drive southwest of Guadalajara Sunday and died while being flown to Mexico City, the Defense Department said in a statement. —Fabiola Sánchez, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2026

How to Get There Rainbow Springs State Park is located in Central Florida near the town of Dunnellon, about 30 minutes southwest of Ocala, 90 minutes north of Tampa, and roughly two hours from Orlando. —Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2026

Noun

Lee County is about a 45-mile drive southwest from downtown Raleigh. —Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026

Strong southwest to west winds will continue through the afternoon, with gusts reaching 40 to 45 mph. —Brandi D. Addison, IndyStar, 20 Feb. 2026

Adjective

Five candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination for the 6th District Cook County Board seat to represent large sections of the south and southwest suburbs. —Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026

If the project is approved, Kroger intends to close its 34-year-old store on the southwest corner of that intersection, according to the city. —Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing southwest

• south-southwest
• southwest by south
• southwest by west
• west-southwest

Rhymes for southwest

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• bequest
• caressed

Kids Definition

southwest

1 of 3 adverb

south·​west sau̇th-ˈwest 

nautical sau̇-ˈwest

: to or toward the southwest

southwest

2 of 3 noun

1

: the direction between south and west

2

capitalized : regions or countries southwest of a point that is mentioned or understood

southwest

3 of 3 adjective

1

: coming from the southwest

a southwest wind

2

: situated toward or at the southwest

the southwest corner