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• Westerner
  Westerner

  noun

  a native or inhabitant of the West, especially of the western U.S.
• westerner
  westerner

  noun

  (sometimes capital) a native or inhabitant of the west of any specific region, esp of the western states of the US or of the western hemisphere

Westerner

American  

[wes-ter-ner] / ˈwɛs tər nər /

noun

(sometimes lowercase)

1. a native or inhabitant of the West, especially of the western U.S.

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westerner British  

/ ˈwɛstənə /

noun

1. (sometimes capital) a native or inhabitant of the west of any specific region, esp of the western states of the US or of the western hemisphere

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anti-Westerner
  noun
• pro-Westerner
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Westerner

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; western + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Here is the quintessential Westerner about to transform himself from Honest Abe the rail-splitter into Father Abraham, the avuncular statesman capable of handling the looming crisis over disunion and slavery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

Mr Vawdrey was the only Westerner on the main Fujitsu board, with responsibility for its operations outside Japan, including the UK which was an important market.

From BBC • May 18, 2024

The standard explanation is that Gorsuch is a Westerner who spent his childhood in Colorado and his lower court career adjudicating many “Indian law” cases on the U.S.

From Slate • Jun. 15, 2023

“Tunnels” touches on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as no Westerner could, complete with an afterword that examines the role of storytelling via religion and archaeology in the region.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 28, 2021

The African sense of immediate family is far different from that of the European or Westerner.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela