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

The epicenter was roughly 2 miles southwest of Tahoe Vista, at a depth of 3 miles. —Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026

Larry Wright owns 52 acres southwest of the site. —Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026

Noun

The site is in Bryson City, a roughly 65-mile drive southwest from Asheville. —Simone Jasper may 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 May 2026

Storm chances increase again on Sunday and continue into next week as upper-level ridging shifts east and a more unsettled southwest flow develops. —Nelly Carreño, CBS News, 27 May 2026

Adjective

Injuries were reported Sunday evening when the force of a crash sent a car slamming into a southwest Miami-Dade home, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office. —Anna McAllister, CBS News, 1 June 2026

What an inspiration for all kids, but particularly some child in southwest Atlanta that may aspire to be a pilot or engineer one day. —Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 31 May 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