southwestern

adjective

south·​west·​ern sau̇(th)-ˈwe-stərn 

1

: lying toward or coming from the southwest

2

often capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated Southwest

southwesternmost

sau̇(th)-ˈwe-stərn-ˌmōst 

adjective

Examples of southwestern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Canmore, Alberta Canmore is in southwestern Alberta, in western Canada. —Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025

The Kansas measles cases are concentrated in the southwestern part of the state and have spread to six counties. —Neha Mukherjee, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025

Cedar City is located in southwestern Utah and is about a 170-mile drive northeast from Las Vegas, Nevada. —Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2025

The measles outbreak is concentrated in the southwestern part of Kansas, with the disease spreading to three additional counties this past week. —Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English sūth-westerne, from sūth south + westerne western

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing southwestern

• southwestern corn borer

Rhymes for southwestern

• northwestern
• western

Kids Definition

southwestern

adjective

south·​west·​ern sau̇(th)-ˈwes-tərn 

1

: lying toward or coming from the southwest

2

often capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of the Southwest