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

Winds are forecasted to be southwest 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph and relative humidity as low as 8 percent. —Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Mar. 2025

Expect winds to be southwest 10 to 15 MPH with gusts between 25 to 30 MPH and humidity 15 to 25 percent. —Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2025

Noun

For Lake Tahoe: southwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 50 mph. —Ca Weather Bot, Sacramento Bee, 15 Mar. 2025

Troup County is about a 50-mile drive southwest from downtown Atlanta. —Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2025

Adjective

Residents can expect winds to be southwest at 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph and humidity as low as 20 percent. —Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2025

Dillard commutes downtown from his southwest suburban home in a Metra train car built during President Dwight Eisenhower’s administration. —David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 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