the point or direction midway between south and west. SW
a region in this direction.
the Southwest, the southwest region of the United States.
lying toward, situated in, or directed toward the southwest.
coming from the southwest, as a wind.
the point of the compass or the direction midway between west and south, 225° clockwise from north
any area lying in or towards this direction
(sometimes capital) of or denoting the southwestern part of a specified country, area, etc
southwest Italy
situated in or towards the southwest
(esp of the wind) from the southwest
before 900; Middle English; Old English sūthwest. See south, west
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The fire in France's southwest Gironde region was stable overnight, local authorities said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Now a Category 4 hurricane and moving northwest with sustained winds of about 155 mph, Genevieve is expected to generate up to 11-foot swells by Wednesday afternoon along beaches that face south and southwest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Authorities said they hadn’t yet pinpointed a cause for the Dove fire, which burned in the hills southwest of Sonora — a town outside of Yosemite National Park in southern Tuolumne County.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Around 500 additional soldiers will be sent to "support the firefighters" battling blazes in southwest France, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said after a crisis meeting with his key ministers.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Biting winds blew in from the southwest, kicking up legions of whitecaps on Lake Washington.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
California and the Southwest U.S., meanwhile, are hit with torrential rain and mudslides.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
As summer heat settles over the Southwest, it changes the circulation in the atmosphere enough to pull up monsoonal moisture from the Pacific and Gulf of California, fueling warm rain and thunderstorms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Southwest, American and Alaska reported quarterly earnings and each reiterated continued strong travel demand despite sharply higher fares.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Southwest Airlines lowered its full-year adjusted earnings forecast to between $3.25 and $4.25 a share due to higher fuel costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
This trip is to San Antonio, Texas, and Southwest Airlines is going to sponsor this event as well.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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.
