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• southwest
  southwest

  noun

  the point or direction midway between south and west. SW
• Southwest
  Southwest

  noun

  the southwestern part of Britain, esp Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset

southwest

American  

[south-west, sou-west] / ˌsaʊθˈwɛst, ˌsaʊˈwɛst /

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.

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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 British  

/ ˌsaʊˈwɛst, ˌsaʊθˈwɛst /

noun

1. the point of the compass or the direction midway between west and south, 225° clockwise from north

2. any area lying in or towards this direction

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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 British  

/ ˌsaʊθˈwɛst /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• southwestern
  adjective
• southwesternmost
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of southwest

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

Example Sentences

Southwest Airlines’ service is similar, offering free food and drinks to passengers on flights over 251 miles.

From Salon • May 7, 2026

American Airlines last week prohibited passengers from recharging power banks using in-flight outlets, matching the policies of Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Southwest Airlines is granting Spirit customers who had Silver and Gold status its own A-list status for 120 days, which allows for a free checked bag, no charge for certain seats and first-group boarding.

From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026

Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said he expects revenue to cover the higher fuel costs, but said there’s no point in trying to predict how high fuel prices will go, or how customers will respond.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

Recent evidence suggests that cattle may have been domesticated independently in North Africa, Southwest Asia, and India, and that all three of those stocks have contributed to modern African cattle breeds.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond