western

[wes-tern]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR western ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

lying toward or situated in the west: our company's western office.

directed or proceeding toward the west: a western migration.

coming or originating from the west, as a wind.

(often initial capital letter) of, pertaining to, living in, or characteristic of the West, especially the western U.S.: a Western ranch.

(usually initial capital letter) Occidental: to adopt Western dress.

(usually initial capital letter) of or relating to the non-Communist countries of Europe and the Americas: Western trade agreements.

(initial capital letter) of or relating to the Western Church.

noun

(often initial capital letter) a story, movie, or radio or television play about the U.S. West of the 19th century.

western sandwich.

a person or thing from a western region or country.

Origin of western

before 1050; 1905–10 for def 8; Middle English, Old English westerne, equivalent to west west + -erne -ern

Related formsan·ti-West·ern, adjectivenon·west·ern, adjective, nounpro-West·ern, adjectiveun·west·ern, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for western

westerly, westward, westbound, westernmost

Examples from the Web for western

Contemporary Examples of western

In their past calls for attacks on Western targets, AQAP has focused on putting bombs on planes, not revenge attacks.
U.S. Spies See Al Qaeda Fingerprints on Paris Massacre
Shane Harris, Nancy A. Youssef
January 8, 2015
This time it would be the biggest mistake for the Western press to repeat that—absolutely the biggest mistake.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
January 8, 2015
“You are applying Western metrics to someone who is not using that metric against you,” referring to ISIS, Bolger said.
Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War
Nancy A. Youssef
January 7, 2015
Although he brings a Western spin to things, he seems equally inspired by the local sense of style.
The Photographer Who Gave Up Manhattan for Marrakech
Liza Foreman
January 6, 2015
As a white, educated, Western, middle-class male, I possess most of the unearned privilege the world has to offer.
In 2015, Let’s Try for More Compassion
Gene Robinson
January 4, 2015

Historical Examples of western

How's it come you didn't have a Western Union frank this year?
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
He had a large family at home waiting his return from a Western journey.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
In truth, it's amazing to take count of the Western men among us in all the professions.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
President Harding had died while traveling in the western States.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
When Mrs. Western retired to her room for the night, it was not to sleep.
Life in London
Edwin Hodder

British Dictionary definitions for western

western

adjective

situated in or towards or facing the west

going or directed to or towards the west

(of a wind, etc) coming or originating from the west

native to, inhabiting, or growing in the west

music See country and western

Western

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of the West as opposed to the Orient

(formerly) of, relating to, or characteristic of the Americas and the parts of Europe not under Communist rule

of, relating to, or characteristic of the western states of the US

noun

a film, book, etc, concerned with life in the western states of the US, esp during the era of exploration and early development

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for western

adj.

"toward or of the west," Old English westerne (see west) + -erne, suffix denoting direction. The noun meaning "book or movie about the Old West" is first attested 1909.