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 delays also indicate that the storms affecting much of the Southeast are shifting northwest. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 16 Feb. 2025

Catch up quick: Vanishing Texas River Cruises has operated on Lake Buchanan, two hours northwest of Austin, for over 40 years, offering rides up the Colorado River to give visitors a glimpse of native plants and wildlife, including tours to spot bald eagles that winter in the area. —Nicole Cobler, Axios, 14 Feb. 2025

Adjective

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported Tuesday that an outbreak in northwest Texas escalated from two cases among unvaccinated children in Gaines County to 58 cases across five counties. —Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025

The goal of the invoices is to discourage organizers from hosting a fifth annual Festival of Floats, an event where hundreds of people congregate on flotation devices in Mission Bay’s northwest corner. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025

Noun

The Damascus resident purchased his $30 ticket from a 7-Eleven in Gaithersburg, about a 20-mile drive northwest from Washington, D.C., according to lottery officials. —Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2025

Up to a quarter-inch of ice is forecast for northwest of the Interstate 95 corridor, from Washington to Philadelphia. —Patrick Smith, NBC News, 6 Feb. 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

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