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

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 This had a series of cascading effects on weather patterns: The westerly winds that blow across the Southern Ocean shifted northward. — Washington Post, "Firenados, ember attacks and megafires: Australia is seeing sci-fi weather," 13 Jan. 2020 As the morning showers clear, a strong westerly wind will follow. — Dave Epstein, BostonGlobe.com, "Here’s why this weekend’s weather has been some of the craziest you’ll ever see for January in Boston," 12 Jan. 2020 That has also helped produce clear skies in Australia as well as strong westerly winds blowing dry air seaward over Victoria and New South Wales—stoking the fires. — Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, "What’s causing Australia’s devastating fire weather?," 4 Jan. 2020 Wisconsin has been subject to mild westerly winds in recent days. — Sophie Carson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "With a high of 58, Milwaukee smashes Boxing Day record temperatures amid unseasonably warm weather," 26 Dec. 2019 Beginning early Wednesday morning, sustained westerly winds of 40 to 60 mph, with gusts as high was 80 mph, are expected along Turnagain Arm and on the Hillside above 2,000 feet. — Anchorage Daily News, "Anchorage Hillside and Turnagain Arm and could see 40 to 60 mph sustained winds early Wednesday," 22 Oct. 2019 The machair, James explained, is a unique biome created by the prevailing westerly winds and storms that race across the North Atlantic and find landfall in the Western Isles. — Washington Post, "Exploring the rich grasslands, meadows and wildflowers of Scotland’s Western Isles," 18 Oct. 2019 The machair, James explained, is a unique biome created by the prevailing westerly winds and storms that race across the North Atlantic and find landfall in the Western Isles. — Adrian Higgins, chicagotribune.com, "Exploring the wild beauty of Scotland’s Western Isles," 18 Oct. 2019 Inland regions are expected to see a rapid onset of westerly winds of 10 to 15 mph on Thursday with gusts up to 30 mph that could last through Friday, according to the National Weather Service. — Los Angeles Times, "Southern California Edison considers power shut-offs ahead of high winds," 16 Oct. 2019 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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Last Updated

28 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Westerly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/westerly. Accessed 22 Feb. 2020.

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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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