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.
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
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
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
As firefighters in southwest France struggle to bring a forest inferno under control before yet another heatwave descends on the country, Filippi told AFP about the phenomenon.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Leading away from Brannock’s Post there was a double line heading down and to the southwest.
From "The River" by Gary Paulsen
California and the Southwest U.S., meanwhile, are hit with torrential rain and mudslides.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
American Airlines and Southwest Airlines tempered their guidances for the year to reflect volatile fuel prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 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
The latest three-month forecast by the National Weather Service predicts above-average rainfall along the river and in much of the Southwest through October.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Worse, her time in the Southwest had changed her.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
