a point on the compass midway between north and west. NW
a region in this direction.
the Northwest,
the northwestern part of the United States, especially Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
the northwestern part of the United States when its western boundary was the Mississippi River.
the northwestern part of Canada.
coming from the northwest.
a northwest wind.
directed toward the northwest.
sailing a northwest course.
from the northwest.
toward the northwest.
sailing northwest.
the point of the compass or direction midway between north and west, 315° clockwise from north
(often capital) any area lying in or towards this direction
the northwestern part of England, esp Lancashire and the Lake District
the northwestern part of the US, consisting of the states of Washington, Oregon, and sometimes Idaho
(in Canada) the region north and west of the Great Lakes
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Houthis seized control of the Yemeni capital in 2014, along with much of Yemen’s populous northwest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
In Quebec, authorities said assistance from the United States and France arrived at the weekend to "address the significant workload" in the northwest of the province.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
After reviewing the recordings, Judah confirmed that a goblin shark had indeed been captured on video during a livestreamed dive at an unnamed seamount northwest of Jarvis Island.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026
Hot air is expected to spread into southern and central Britain while the northwest will stay cooler due to air flowing off the Atlantic.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
It stood northwest of Rapid City, near the town of Sturgis.
From "In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse" by Joseph Marshall III
Ferns quickly moved into the damaged landscapes, spreading across large parts of what is now Northwest Europe and creating broad savannah-like environments.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
Oregon's Multnomah County, for example, is suing fossil fuel giants for more than $51 billion over pollution that fueled a deadly 2021 heat dome in the Pacific Northwest, during which hundreds died.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
Analysts of yesteryear also might wonder what happened to Continental, US Airways, Northwest, AirTran, America West and others they used to cover.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Among the tax credit’s other prominent backers are two Northwest Democrats on the Senate Committee on Finance, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Maria Cantwell of Washington.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
Now I found out I’d nearly destroyed the Northwest U.S. and almost woken the most horrible monster ever imprisoned by the gods.
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
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.
