northwest

1 of 3

adverb

north·​west nȯrth-ˈwest 

nautical

nȯr-ˈwest 

: to, toward, or in the northwest

northwest

2 of 3

adjective

1

: coming from the northwest

a northwest wind

2

: situated toward or at the northwest

the northwest corner

northwest

3 of 3

noun

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

Adverb

The area where the body was found is about 3 miles northwest of a dam that separates Lake Oconee from neighboring Lake Sinclair just to the south. —CBS News, 10 Mar. 2025

This city is about 300 miles northwest of Guadalajara and 600 miles west of Mexico City. —Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025

Adjective

The visibility line cuts through Eastern Europe, with Serbia, Romania and Ukraine experiencing tiny eclipses in their northwest regions and no eclipse to the southeast. —Jamie Carter, Space.com, 15 Mar. 2025

Temperatures will range from the upper 40s to near 60 degrees Saturday with northwest winds gusting 20 to 30 mph, meteorologists predict. —Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2025

Noun

The ranch is in Spicewood, about a 35-mile drive northwest from Austin. —Tj MacIas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2025

Banner Elk is about a 120-mile drive northwest from Charlotte. —Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 14 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing northwest

• north-northwest
• northwest by north
• northwest by west
• the northwest
• west-northwest

Rhymes for northwest

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• bequest
• caressed

Kids Definition

northwest

1 of 3 adverb

north·​west nȯrth-ˈwest 

nautical

nȯr-ˈwest 

: to or toward the northwest

northwest

2 of 3 noun

1

: 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 adjective

1

: 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