1
: coming from the northwest
a northwest wind
2
: situated toward or at the northwest
the northwest corner
1
a
: the general direction between north and west
b
: the point midway between the north and west compass points
2
capitalized
: regions or countries lying to the northwest of a specified or implied point of orientation
Examples of northwest in a Sentence
Adverb
It's about 80 miles northwest of here.
I headed northwest on Route 1.
Adjective
the northwest corner of the building
Noun
A mountain range is in the northwest of the country.
We traveled throughout the Northwest.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The nearly 20,000-square-foot space, built in 1960, is situated in Spaanse Polder, a port zone northwest of the city center.
—Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 4 Sep. 2025
Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Sep. 2025
The low will be 58 degrees, with northwest wind from 5-8 mph.
—Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Sep. 2025
Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
In Ventura County, California, northwest of Los Angeles, Lisa Tate manages her family business that grows citrus fruits, avocados and coffee on eight ranches and 800 acres (323 hectares).
—Corey Williams, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for northwest
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Adverb
The epicenter was situated approximately 6 miles northwest of The Geysers, at a depth of just 1 mile.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The nearly 20,000-square-foot space, built in 1960, is situated in Spaanse Polder, a port zone northwest of the city center.
—Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon.
—Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Sep. 2025
The low will be 58 degrees, with northwest wind from 5-8 mph.
—Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
The 1-4 Fire that sparked Tuesday in Mariposa County, northwest of Chowchilla, has charred 3,802 acres as of Wednesday.
—Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
In Ventura County, California, northwest of Los Angeles, Lisa Tate manages her family business that grows citrus fruits, avocados and coffee on eight ranches and 800 acres (323 hectares).
—Corey Williams, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for northwest
Cite this Entry
“Northwest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/northwest. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
northwest
1 of 3 adverb
north·west
nȯrth-ˈwest 
nautical
nȯr-ˈwest
: to or toward the northwest
northwest
2 of 3 noun1
: the direction between north and west
2
capitalized
: the regions or countries northwest of a point that is mentioned or understood
northwest
3 of 3 adjective1
: coming from the northwest
a northwest wind
2
: placed or lying toward or at the northwest
the northwest corner
Geographical Definition
North West
geographical name
variants
or Noordwes
ˌnȯrd-ˈwes
ˌnȯrt-
province of the northern part of the Republic of South Africa bordering Botswana area 44,861 square miles (116,190 square kilometers), population 3,509,953
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