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 started with northerly winds, then westerly, then southerly, then easterly, then back again to the south, then the west...
From Barron's ● 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
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
The fire in France's southwest Gironde region was stable overnight, local authorities said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
In the southwest corner Geyer found a soft spot.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
California and the Southwest U.S., meanwhile, are hit with torrential rain and mudslides.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The Southwest Utah Public Health Department stocks vaccines against measles, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B, and other diseases.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Southwest Airlines’ second-quarter profit rose to $233 million, while revenue climbed 16% to $8.43 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Southwest said its new profit guidance is based on the forward fuel curve as of July 17, and assumes the current fare environment and demand trends remain intact.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
After nearly getting killed by a falling rock low on the Southwest Face, Petter Neby, the solo Norwegian climber, was already gone: he’d quietly left Base Camp one morning and returned to Scandinavia.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
