westerly

1 of 2

adjective or adverb

west·​er·​ly ˈwe-stər-lē How to pronounce westerly (audio)
Synonyms of westerlynext
1
: situated toward or belonging to the west
the westerly end of the farm
2
: coming from the west
a westerly breeze

westerly

2 of 2

noun

plural westerlies
: a wind from the west

Examples of westerly 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.
Adjective or adverb
Views reach toward the tiny islet of Preveto, with the more westerly shape of Marettimo faint on the horizon. — Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026 One of the last to ripen in the entire appellation, this vineyard is surrounded by thick woods that protect it from the warm and humid westerly winds. — Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 3 May 2026
Noun
As the land cools in the autumn, north-easterly winds replace the south-westerlies (see map). — The Economist, 27 June 2019 Wendling, the most north-westerly site of all and barely in the valley, turns the same cool end darker, toward plum, blackberry and savoury earth. — Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for westerly

Word History

Etymology

Adjective or adverb

obsolete wester western

First Known Use

Adjective Or Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of westerly was in the 15th century

Rhymes for westerly

See All Rhymes for westerly

Browse Nearby Words

westerling
westerly
Westerly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Westerly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/westerly. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

westerly

1 of 2 adverb or adjective
west·​er·​ly ˈwes-tər-lē How to pronounce westerly (audio)
1
: toward the west
the ship sailed westerly
a westerly direction
2
: from the west
the wind blew westerly
a westerly breeze

westerly

2 of 2 noun
plural westerlies
: a wind blowing from the west

Geographical Definition

Westerly

geographical name

Wes·​ter·​ly ˈwe-stər-lē How to pronounce Westerly (audio)
town in southwestern Rhode Island on the border with Connecticut population 17,936
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All