northwest

[ nawrth-west; Nautical nawr-west ]

/ ˌnɔrθˈwɛst; Nautical ˌnɔrˈwɛst /

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noun

a point on the compass midway between north and west. Abbreviation: 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.

adjective

coming from the northwest: a northwest wind.

directed toward the northwest: sailing a northwest course.

adverb

from the northwest.

toward the northwest: sailing northwest.

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Origin of northwest

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

OTHER WORDS FROM northwest

northwestern, adjective

Words nearby northwest

North Valley Stream, North Vancouver, North Vietnam, northward, northwards, northwest, northwest by north, northwest by west, northwester, northwesterly, northwesterner

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use northwest in a sentence

Late this afternoon, winds should pick up from the northwest.
Snow ends, leading to an afternoon of melting; more storm chances to come this week|Brian Jackson, Dan Stillman, Andrew Freedman|February 7, 2021|Washington Post
Greene was elected in November to represent a conservative district in northwest Georgia after her opponent Kevin Van Ausdal dropped out, citing personal reasons.
House punishes Republican lawmaker who promoted violent conspiracy theories|Taylor Hatmaker|February 5, 2021|TechCrunch
Ideally, you want a cold high-pressure system to our north or northwest to help supply and sustain cold air.
Game on! Super Bowl snow is back in the forecast for D.C. area.|Jason Samenow, Wes Junker|February 4, 2021|Washington Post
The northwest campus of the University of Washington Medical Center is a short drive from my house.
I jumped the queue to get an expiring vaccine. Did I do the right thing?|Niall Firth|February 1, 2021|MIT Technology Review

The National Weather Service, which has issued a winter storm warning for much of the region, is also calling for four to eight inches of snow close to Washington but six to 12 inches to the north and northwest.
Winter storm to blanket D.C. area in moderate snow Sunday, and more might come Monday|Jason Samenow, Wes Junker|January 31, 2021|Washington Post
Still, at least Macklemore sounds like a white guy from the Pacific Northwest.
The Cultural Crimes of Iggy Azalea|Amy Zimmerman|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When, in succession, he made Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963).
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There was a logic to it – many of the wines were from the Pacific Northwest, principally from Oregon and Washington state.
Beer Countries vs. Wine Countries|Clive Irving|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Al Ghabban compared one of these sites, Tayma, in the northwest, to New York City, and another one, Thaj, to Dubai.
When Saudi Arabia Ruled the World|Emily Wilson|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Spanish press reports that she is originally from Galicia in northwest Spain.
Ebola Contracted in Madrid Hospital Could Spread in Europe|Barbie Latza Nadeau|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now, the whole Northwest groaned beneath a cast-iron prohibition law at that time, and for some years thereafter.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Henry Hudson sailed from Gravesend on his first voyage for the discovery of a northwest passage to India.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
He came nearly doing it, and for a day McNeil was in doubt as to which way he had gone—to the northwest or the north.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
Harry rode to the northwest, for he knew it was in that direction Poindexter was rallying his forces.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
That is not the case with the one that extends northwest and southeast, for it is flooded with sunlight most of the day.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various

British Dictionary definitions for northwest (1 of 3)

northwest

/ (ˌnɔːθˈwɛst, nautical ˌnɔːˈwɛst) /

noun

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

the northwest (often capital) any area lying in or towards this direction

adjective Also: northwestern

(sometimes capital) of or denoting the northwestern part of a specified country, area, etcnorthwest Greenland

adjective, adverb

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

Symbol: NW

Derived forms of northwest

northwesternmost, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for northwest (2 of 3)

North West

noun

a province in N South Africa, created in 1994 from the NE part of Cape Province and part of Transvaal: agriculture and service industries. Capital: Mafikeng. Pop: 3 807 469 (2004 est). Area: 116 320 sq km (44 911 sq miles)

British Dictionary definitions for northwest (3 of 3)

Northwest

/ (ˌnɔːθˈwɛst) /

noun the Northwest

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012