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• northwest
  northwest

  noun

  a point on the compass midway between north and west. NW
• Northwest
  Northwest

  noun

  the northwestern part of England, esp Lancashire and the Lake District

northwest

American  

[nawrth-west, nawr-west] / ˌnɔrθˈwɛst, ˌnɔrˈwɛst /

noun

1. a point on the compass midway between north and west. NW

2. a region in this direction.

3. the Northwest,

   1. the northwestern part of the United States, especially Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

   2. the northwestern part of the United States when its western boundary was the Mississippi River.

   3. the northwestern part of Canada.

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adjective

1. coming from the northwest.

   a northwest wind.

2. directed toward the northwest.

   sailing a northwest course.

adverb

1. from the northwest.

2. toward the northwest.

   sailing northwest.

northwest ¹ British  

/ ˌnɔːθˈwɛst, ˌnɔːˈwɛst /

noun

1. the point of the compass or direction midway between north and west, 315° clockwise from north

2. (often capital) any area lying in or towards this direction

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adjective

1. (sometimes capital) of or denoting the northwestern part of a specified country, area, etc

   northwest Greenland

adjective

1. in, to, towards, or (esp of the wind) from the northwest

Northwest ² British  

/ ˌnɔːθˈwɛst /

noun

1. the northwestern part of England, esp Lancashire and the Lake District

2. the northwestern part of the US, consisting of the states of Washington, Oregon, and sometimes Idaho

3. (in Canada) the region north and west of the Great Lakes

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Other Word Forms

• northwestern
  adjective
• northwesternmost
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of northwest

before 900; Middle English, Old English; see north, west

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

northwest Northwest

When I left my home in San Antonio for a yearlong sabbatical one hour northwest in Fredericksburg, Texas, I wasn’t planning to stay.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Meanwhile, forecasts point to colder-than-usual weather in northwest Europe from next week, potentially boosting heating demand high and accelerating withdrawals from gas-storage facilities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Daniels came to Springfield in 1988, a transplant, after growing in northwest Pennsylvania and working all over the heartland.

From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026

The report said the object was seen “remaining stationary, then moving northwest toward Los Angeles over approximately 10 minutes.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

With a finger he traced a direction northwest from the little farm.

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander

I received this message while gazing out at the Atlantic Ocean parked atop a cliff in the emptiness of Northwest Scotland; the first message from the outside world I’d received in 23 days.

From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2026

When the bodies of two hikers in the Pacific Northwest were discovered, the media and local authorities put forth an unhelpful suggestion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

"It is a very specific place," said Knight, who lives in the Pacific Northwest city.

From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026

They’ve sold their property and will be moving to the Pacific Northwest, a decision made with heavy hearts but a sense of reinvention.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026

The search for the Northwest Passage, or the attempt to explain planetary motion on the model of magnetism, were mistaken but useful.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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