Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Pacific Northwest

American  
[puh-sif-ik nawrth-west] / pəˈsɪf ɪk ˌnɔrθˈwɛst /

noun

  1. an imprecisely defined region of North America that is commonly held to include the U.S. states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho and the Canadian province of British Columbia, with some designations extending the region south into northern California and/or north into Alaska and Yukon: often considered as much a historical, sociocultural region as a geographical one. PNW


Pacific Northwest British  

noun

  1. the region of North America lying north of the Columbia River and west of the Rockies

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

An upper level trough across the Pacific Northwest, which has been keeping temperatures cooler, is expected to break down, according to the National Weather Service.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Travel could be a problem, though, since Belgium opens in Seattle, plays its second game in Inglewood, then travels back to the Pacific Northwest.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

In the Pacific Northwest, summertime street parties are rare and special tributes to a sun that hides for half the year.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026

Researchers estimate the SFZ accounts for roughly 15% of the total strain across the Pacific Northwest.

From Science Daily • May 19, 2026

In the Pacific Northwest, there were thousands of earthquakes each year.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "Pacific Northwest" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com