southwestern

adjective

south·​west·​ern sau̇(th)-ˈwe-stərn How to pronounce southwestern (audio)
1
: lying toward or coming from the southwest
2
often Southwestern : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated Southwest
southwesternmost
sau̇(th)-ˈwe-stərn-ˌmōst How to pronounce southwestern (audio)
adjective

Examples of southwestern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Matthew Unglesbee, a 36-year-old resident of Quincy in southwestern Illinois, was charged with violations related to false information and hoaxes and mailing threatening communications. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026 Unglesbee, of Quincy in southwestern Illinois, is charged with mailing threatening communications and perpetrating a hoax. — Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 At least four people were reported dead and two others missing in Haiti’s southwestern region, where flooding affected more than 3,200 families and destroyed hundreds of homes, according to the country’s Civil Protection Agency. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026 In the city of Hurricane in far southwestern Utah, a shipping container drifting down a street gave way Friday to a mess of mud and debris to be cleaned up as people who had evacuated earlier in the week returned home. — Mead Gruver, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for southwestern

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of southwestern was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing southwestern

Rhymes for southwestern

See All Rhymes for southwestern

Browse Nearby Words

southwesterly
southwestern
southwestern corn borer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Southwestern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southwestern. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

southwestern

adjective
south·​west·​ern sau̇(th)-ˈwes-tərn How to pronounce southwestern (audio)
1
: lying toward or coming from the southwest
2
often capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of the Southwest
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