western

[wes-tern]

adjective

1. lying toward or situated in the west.

   our company's western office.

2. directed or proceeding toward the west.

   a western migration.

3. coming or originating from the west, as a wind.

4. (often initial capital letter),  of, pertaining to, living in, or characteristic of the West, especially the western U.S..

   a Western ranch.

5. (usually initial capital letter),  Occidental.

   to adopt Western dress.

6. (usually initial capital letter),  of or relating to the non-Communist countries of Europe and the Americas.

   Western trade agreements.

7. (initial capital letter),  of or relating to the Western Church.

noun

1. (often initial capital letter),  a story, movie, or radio or television play about the U.S. West of the 19th century.

2. western sandwich.

3. a person or thing from a western region or country.

western

¹

/ ˈwɛstən /

adjective

1. situated in or towards or facing the west

2. going or directed to or towards the west

3. (of a wind, etc) coming or originating from the west

4. native to, inhabiting, or growing in the west

5. music See country and western

Western

²

/ ˈwɛstən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the West as opposed to the Orient

2. (formerly) of, relating to, or characteristic of the Americas and the parts of Europe not under Communist rule

3. of, relating to, or characteristic of the western states of the US

noun

1. a film, book, etc, concerned with life in the western states of the US, esp during the era of exploration and early development

Other Word Forms

• anti-Western adjective
• nonwestern adjective
• pro-Western adjective
• unwestern adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of western¹

before 1050; 1905–10 western for def. 8; Middle English, Old English westerne, equivalent to west west + -erne -ern

Example Sentences

A newly-elected mayor in western Germany has been stabbed and left critically injured near her home, police say.

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Based in Salt Lake City, he’s long championed outlaw writers, western Americana and literary misfits — none more so than his late friend, Edward Abbey.

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Epic, like a poster for a classic western film.

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Two years later she has signed an contract extension at Jeddah-based Al-Ittihad and wants to challenge preconceived notions from the western world about Saudi Arabia and what life is like for a female athlete.

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However, a number of western experts have recently pointed to what they say are growing signs that the economy is now under an ever increasing strain.

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