adj · adv · name · noun · 14 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/nɔɹθˈwɛst/
Received-Pronunciation:/nɔːθˈwɛst/
British, Southern, Standard:/noːθˈwɛst/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛst
CMU ARPABET:N AO2 R TH W EH1 S T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of, in or pertaining to the northwest; northwestern.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Situated toward or in the direction of the northwest; northwestward; northwesterly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, usually
Examples
a northwest course
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Coming from the northwest; northwesterly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, usually
Examples
a northwest wind
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adv
Meaning 4
Towards or in the direction of the northwest; northwestwards.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, usually
Examples
We are travelling northwest at the moment.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
name
Meaning 5
Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
name
Meaning 6
Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie.
The northwestern region of the contiguous United States, including the Pacific Northwest.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
The intercardinal compass point halfway between west and north; specifically at a bearing of 315°.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: southeast
8
adjective satellite
Meaning 8
situated in or oriented toward the northwest
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: northwestern, northwesterly
Antonyms: none provided
9
adjective satellite
Meaning 9
coming from the northwest
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
northwesterly winds
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: northwesterly
Antonyms: none provided
10
adverb
Meaning 10
to, toward, or in the northwest
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: north-west, nor'-west
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
a location in the northwestern part of a country, region, or city
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: location
12
noun
Meaning 12
the northwestern region of the United States
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: northwestern United States
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: geographical area, geographic area, geographical region, geographic region
13
noun
Meaning 13
the compass point midway between north and west; at 315 degrees
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: nor'-west, northwestward, NW
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: compass point, point
14
noun
Meaning 14
the direction corresponding to the northwestward compass point
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: direction
History
Etymology
From Middle English northwest, from Old English norþwest, equivalent to north + west.
By proprialization from northwest.
Across languages
Translations
95 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
հյուսիս-արեւմուտք
(hyusis-arewmutkʻ)
— compass point
Basque:
ipar-sartalde
— compass point
Basque:
ipar-mendebal
— compass point
Karo Batak:
mangabia
— compass point
Toba Batak:
manabia
— compass point
Belarusian:
паўно́чны за́хад
(pawnóčny záxad)
— compass point
Central Bikol:
amihanan-sulnopan
— compass point
Bulgarian:
североза́пад
(severozápad)
— compass point
Burmese:
အနောက်မြောက်
(a.naukmrauk)
— compass point
Catalan:
nord-oest
— compass point
Catalan:
mestral
— compass point
Hakka Chinese:
西北
(sî-pet)
— compass point
Chinese:
西北
(sai-pak)
— compass point
Chinese Mandarin:
西北
(xīběi)
— compass point
Czech:
severozápad
— compass point
Danish:
nordvest
— compass point
Dutch:
noordwesten
— compass point
Esperanto:
nordokcidento
— compass point
Esperanto:
norduesto
— compass point
Estonian:
loe
— compass point
Faroese:
útnyrðingur
— compass point
Finnish:
luode
— compass point
French:
nord-ouest
— compass point
Galician:
noroeste
— compass point
Georgian:
ჩრდილო-დასავლეთი
(črdilo-dasavleti)
— compass point
Georgian:
ჩრდილოეთ-დასავლეთი
(črdiloet-dasavleti)
— compass point
German:
Nordwesten
— compass point
Greek:
βορειοδυτικά
(voreiodytiká)
— compass point
Hindi:
पश्चिमोत्तर
— compass point
Hindi:
उत्तरपश्चिम
(uttarpaścim)
— compass point
Hungarian:
északnyugat
— compass point
Icelandic:
norðvestur
— compass point
Icelandic:
útnorður
— compass point
Ido:
nord-westo
— compass point
Indonesian:
barat laut
— compass point
Ingrian:
länspohja
— compass point
Ingrian:
loovve
— compass point
Interlingua:
nord-west
— compass point
Irish:
iarthuaisceart
— compass point
Italian:
nordovest
— compass point
Japanese:
北西
(hokusei)
— compass point
Japanese:
西北
(seihoku)
— compass point
Japanese:
乾
(inui)
— compass point
Javanese:
lor kulon
— compass point
Javanese:
lèr kilèn
— compass point
Javanese:
nurwitri
— compass point
Khmer:
ពាយ័ព្យ
(piəyŏəp)
— compass point
Korean:
북서
(bukseo)
— compass point
Lao:
ພາຍັບ
(php)
— compass point
Latin:
caurus
— compass point
Latvian:
ziemeļrietumi
— compass point
Lithuanian:
šiaurės vakarų
— compass point
Macedonian:
североза́пад
(severozápad)
— compass point
Madurese:
bârâ' ḍâjâ
— compass point
Malay:
barat laut
— compass point
Maltese:
majjistral
— compass point
Māori:
uru-mā-raki
— compass point
Māori:
marangai-mā-uru
— compass point
Central Melanau:
laan alud
— compass point
Mon:
ဗာယပ်
— compass point
Navajo:
náhookǫs dóó eʼeʼaah
— compass point
Norwegian Bokmål:
nordvest
— compass point
Norwegian Nynorsk:
nordvest
— compass point
Old Norse:
útnorðr
— compass point
Pannonian Rusyn:
сиверозаход
(siverozaxod)
— compass point
Persian:
شمال غربی
(šamâl-e ġarbi)
— compass point
Polish:
północny zachód
— compass point
Portuguese:
noroeste
— compass point
Romanian:
nord-vest
— compass point
Romansh:
nordvest
— compass point
Russian:
се́веро-за́пад
(sévero-západ)
— compass point
Russian:
норд-ве́ст
(nord-vést)
— compass point
Scots:
nor-wast
— compass point
Serbo-Croatian:
северозапад
— compass point
Serbo-Croatian:
сјеверозапад
— compass point
Serbo-Croatian:
severozapad
— compass point
Serbo-Croatian:
sjeverozapad
— compass point
Slovak:
severozápad
— compass point
Slovene:
severozahod
— compass point
Spanish:
noroeste
— compass point
Spanish:
nordoeste
— compass point
Spanish:
noroccidente
— compass point
Spanish:
nordoccidente
— compass point
Swahili:
kaskazini-magharibi
— compass point
Swedish:
nordväst
— compass point
Tamil:
வடமேற்கு
(vaṭamēṟku)
— compass point
Telugu:
వాయవ్యం
(vāyavyaṁ)
— compass point
Thai:
พายัพ
(paa-yáp)
— compass point
Turkish:
kuzeybatı
— compass point
Ukrainian:
півні́чний за́хід
(pivníčnyj záxid)
— compass point
