southwesterly

adverb or adjective

south·​west·​er·​ly sau̇(th)-ˈwe-stər-lē How to pronounce southwesterly (audio)
1
: from the southwest
2
: toward the southwest

Examples of southwesterly 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.
As southwesterly winds persist into Wednesday, Houston afternoon temps should land in the lower 80s. Newsroom Meteorologist, Houston Chronicle, 17 Feb. 2026 An advisory has not been issued for Southern California beaches yet, but forecasters say there is a strong chance that a high-surf advisory will be issued Monday to Thursday as a combination of southwesterly and west-northwesterly swells arrive along the coastline. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2026 Clouds will break up during the afternoon, with winds turning more southwesterly as a spring-like dry line or the frontal boundary of a dry air mass moves over the area. Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026 Tuesday, increasing southwesterly winds to 30 to 40 mph will help warm the area up above freezing. Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 15 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for southwesterly

Word History

Etymology

southwest entry 2 + -erly (as in westerly)

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of southwesterly was in 1703

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Southwesterly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southwesterly. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

southwesterly

adverb or adjective
south·​west·​er·​ly sau̇(th)-ˈwes-tər-lē How to pronounce southwesterly (audio)
1
: from the southwest
2
: toward the southwest

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