southwest

[ south-west; Nautical sou-west ]

noun

1. the point or direction midway between south and west. : SW
2. a region in this direction.
3. the Southwest, the southwest region of the United States.

adjective

1. lying toward, situated in, or directed toward the southwest.
2. coming from the southwest, as a wind.

adverb

1. in the direction midway between south and west.

southwest

¹

/ ˌsaʊˈwɛst; ˌsaʊθˈwɛst /

noun

1. the point of the compass or the direction midway between west and south, 225° clockwise from north
2. often capusually preceded bythe any area lying in or towards this direction

adjective

1. sometimes capital of or denoting the southwestern part of a specified country, area, etc

   southwest Italy

2. situated in or towards the southwest
3. (esp of the wind) from the southwest

adverb

1. in, to, towards, or (esp of the wind) from the southwest

Southwest

²

/ ˌsaʊθˈwɛst /

noun

1. the Southwest
   the Southwest the southwestern part of Britain, esp Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset

Derived Forms

• ˌsouthˈwesternmost, adjective

Other Words From

• southwestern adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of southwest¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English sūthwest. See south, west

Example Sentences

What we knowWhat we’re less confident aboutStorms next weekWhile an Arctic high-pressure zone continues to feed cold air into the region, two more storms are expected to approach the area from the southwest.

From Washington Post

From Tunk’s summit, you can see the lake-dotted forest stretching to the north, as well as Mount Desert Island and Frenchman Bay to the southwest.

From Outside Online

I’m right by the Swiss border all the way in the south, southwest France.

From Ozy

Some areas southwest of Washington could see a bit more while others, north of Washington, could see a bit less.

From Washington Post

As a zone of low pressure approaches from the west this weekend, models have converged on the idea of a period of snow on Sunday as warmer air from the south and southwest is lifted over a dome of cold air supplied by high-pressure to the north.

From Washington Post

AirAsia, on the other hand, is a relatively new carrier, an upstart in the tradition of Southwest Airlines in the United States.

From The Daily Beast

This leaves Southwest, a serious competitor, as the only domestic carrier left able to claim “bags fly free.”

From The Daily Beast

In the Rockies, the number climbs to 26 percent, and in the Southwest, fully a third are on board.

From The Daily Beast

Close to 50,000 unaccompanied Central American minors showed up at the southwest border this year.

From The Daily Beast

Checkpoints like this one and the 33 others along the southwest border are the source of frustration for the towns they occupy.

From The Daily Beast

Samuel Dale, an eminent pioneer in the settlement of the southwest, died in Lauderdale county, Mississippi.

From Project Gutenberg

It will also certify that he made the pluckiest and most successful hundred-mile run ever pulled off in the Southwest.

From Project Gutenberg

In this beautiful quadrangle, one of the most interesting features is the chapel at the southwest corner.

From Project Gutenberg

Looking away to the southwest, she beheld a sight that made her feel faint with fear.

From Project Gutenberg

Away off to the southwest a bright light showed briefly—the headlight of a Santa Fe train, he guessed it must be.

From Project Gutenberg