southwest

1 of 3

adverb

south·​west sau̇th-ˈwest 

 nautical  sau̇-ˈwest

: to, toward, or in the southwest

southwest

2 of 3

noun

1

a

: the general direction between south and west

b

: the point midway between the south and west compass points

2

capitalized : regions or countries lying to the southwest of a specified or implied point of orientation

especially : the southwestern part of the U.S.

southwest

3 of 3

adjective

1

: coming from the southwest

a southwest wind

2

: situated toward or at the southwest

the southwest corner

Examples of southwest in a Sentence

Adverb

It's about 80 miles southwest of here.

Noun

A mountain range is in the southwest of the country.

These plants grow in the Southwest.

Adjective

the southwest corner of the building

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Nepal lives in High Point, North Carolina, about 18 miles southwest of Greensboro, according to prosecutors. —Saleen Martin, USA Today, 1 May 2025

This is hardly the first time Diplo’s shown the love for the unincorporated area about 15 miles southwest of downtown Miami. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 1 May 2025

Noun

Sherwood is about a 15-mile drive southwest from Portland. —Sara Schilling, Sacbee.com, 18 Apr. 2025

Franklin is about a 20-mile drive southwest from Nashville. —Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2025

Adjective

Read on for my fully review of St. Regis Longboat Key Resort on the southwest coast of Florida. —Annie Archer, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2025

Kansas Kansas has 32 cases in eight counties in the southwest part of the state, health officials announced Wednesday. —Devi Shastri, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

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

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing southwest

• south-southwest
• southwest by south
• southwest by west
• west-southwest

Rhymes for southwest

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

Kids Definition

southwest

1 of 3 adverb

south·​west sau̇th-ˈwest 

 nautical  sau̇-ˈwest

: to or toward the southwest

southwest

2 of 3 noun

1

: the direction between south and west

2

capitalized : regions or countries southwest of a point that is mentioned or understood

southwest

3 of 3 adjective

1

: coming from the southwest

a southwest wind

2

: situated toward or at the southwest

the southwest corner