northwest

[nawrth-west, nawr-west]

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.

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

/ 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

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

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• northwestern adjective
• northwesternmost adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of northwest¹

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

Example Sentences

News of the children's escape brought welcome relief for families and for a country that has been agonising over the fate of hundreds of schoolchildren abducted in Nigeria's northwest.

Read more on BBC

CHP officers responding to the crash came upon the damaged silver Hyundai sports utility vehicle in a business parking lot, northwest of the intersection.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Clark lived in Goodyears Bar, a town located about 60 miles northwest of Lake Tahoe.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Iranian meteorologists reported there was some rainfall in the west and northwest of the country on Saturday - with video showing snowfall on a ski resort north of Tehran for the first time this year.

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Urmia, in the northwest, is Iran's largest lake, but has largely dried out and turned into a vast salt bed due to drought.

Read more on Barron's