westerly

adjective or adverb

west·er·ly | \ ˈwe-stər-lē

How to pronounce westerly (audio)

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Definition of westerly

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : situated toward or belonging to the west the westerly end of the farm

2 : coming from the west a westerly breeze

westerly

noun

plural westerlies

Definition of westerly (Entry 2 of 3)

: a wind from the west

Westerly

geographical name

Wes·ter·ly | \ ˈwe-stər-lē

How to pronounce Westerly (audio)

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Definition of Westerly (Entry 3 of 3)

town in southwestern Rhode Island on the border with Connecticut population 17,936

Examples of westerly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective or adverb Sunday’s forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies with a high near 68 degrees and light westerly winds of 5 to 10 miles per hour. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Clouds, possible rain showers will linger into Monday," 24 Oct. 2020 Enjoy the spectacular westerly overlook (hello, to paraphrase the McGarrigle sisters, to the state of old New York!). — New York Times, "Leaf Peeping Is Not Canceled: 6 Drives and Hikes to Try This Fall," 1 Oct. 2020 Sunday will also be a breezy day with westerly winds gusting close to 30mph at times during the afternoon! — Paul Douglas, Star Tribune, "Extended Outlook Calls for Cold Fronts," 26 Sep. 2020 Millions of them got a brief respite from smoky skies Sunday as westerly winds pushed smoke toward the east. — John Bacon, USA TODAY, "Bobcat wildfire destroys homes, Los Angeles nature center: 'It was so terrifying'," 21 Sep. 2020 The current weather system, which favors a westerly wind across the higher levels of the atmosphere, is to blame for the reach of the smoke, experts explained. — Susan Montoya Bryan, Anchorage Daily News, "Western wildfire smoke causes East Coast haze and reaches northern Europe," 17 Sep. 2020 The current weather system, which favors a westerly wind across the higher levels of the atmosphere, is to blame for the reach of the smoke, experts explained. — Arkansas Online, "Western wildfire smoke causes East Coast haze, vivid sunsets," 17 Sep. 2020 The models are ultimately split on whether this potent wave curves north over the open Atlantic—like Paulette and Rene—and follows a more westerly track toward the Caribbean Sea and ultimately the United States. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "It’s the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, and the tropics are bonkers," 10 Sep. 2020 By early Tuesday, the overnight model guidance indicated a high probability the storm may take a more westerly track across the Gulf of Mexico and strike the fourth-largest US city. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "Science and steely nerves spared Houston from a nightmare hurricane evacuation," 1 Sep. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Their modest city saw an influx of evacuees from nearby rural and coastal regions soon after hot westerlies sent walls of flame into a string of towns and villages around New Year's Eve. — NBC News, "Everyday Australians step up as relentless wildfires push country to the brink," 11 Jan. 2020 As the land cools in the autumn, north-easterly winds replace the south-westerlies (see map). — The Economist, "The South Asian monsoon, past, present and future," 27 June 2019 But their move from the southern hemisphere to the northern, and the constraining effect of high pressure over Africa, sees them twisted from south-easterlies to south-westerlies. — The Economist, "The South Asian monsoon, past, present and future," 27 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'westerly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Westerly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/westerly. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for westerly

westerly

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of westerly

: located or moving toward the west

: blowing from the west

See the full definition for westerly in the English Language Learners Dictionary

westerly

adjective or adverb

west·er·ly | \ ˈwe-stər-lē

\

Kids Definition of westerly

1 : toward the west the lake's westerly shore

2 : from the west a westerly wind

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