lying toward or situated in the west.
our company's western office.
directed or proceeding toward the west.
a western migration.
coming or originating from the west, as a wind.
(often initial capital letter) of, pertaining to, living in, or characteristic of the West, especially the western U.S..
a Western ranch.
(usually initial capital letter) Occidental.
to adopt Western dress.
(usually initial capital letter) of or relating to the non-Communist countries of Europe and the Americas.
Western trade agreements.
(initial capital letter) of or relating to the Western Church.
(often initial capital letter) a story, movie, or radio or television play about the U.S. West of the 19th century.
a person or thing from a western region or country.
situated in or towards or facing the west
going or directed to or towards the west
(of a wind, etc) coming or originating from the west
native to, inhabiting, or growing in the west
music See country and western
of, relating to, or characteristic of the West as opposed to the Orient
(formerly) of, relating to, or characteristic of the Americas and the parts of Europe not under Communist rule
of, relating to, or characteristic of the western states of the US
before 1050; 1905–10 western for def. 8; Middle English, Old English westerne, equivalent to west west + -erne -ern
Anything western comes from the west, like a western wind that blows your hair sideways. Western also refers to anything from that half of the world — North America and Europe — as well as old cowboy movies. Although western literally refers to anything in the west, like that wind or a direction on a compass, the Western world refers to the culture of the USA and Europe. The other is Eastern society, which includes Asia. They aren’t as popular now, but kids used to watch Westerns, also known as cowboy movies. If you go to a store that sells Western wear, you might walk out with a ten-gallon hat and red cowboy boots. Yeehaw!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Brazil is now positioned to play an increasingly strategic part in supplying critical raw minerals to Western economies.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
They’re ubiquitous across the Western world — an architectural infection spurred by capitalism’ need for generic efficiency borne of economies of scale.
From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026
The three Western powers that met at 10 Downing Street constitute the so-called E3 group and are some of Kyiv's strongest allies.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Depending on who investors read, the SpaceX IPO will either end Western civilization while ruining working-class retirement funds or usher in an AI-enabled global utopia, generating trillions in profits.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Figure 4.47: The chromatic scale includes all the pitches normally found in Western music.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
