1
a
: coming from the west
a western storm
b
: situated or lying toward the west
islands in the western half of the archipelago
2
or Western
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated West: such as
a
: steeped in or stemming from the Greco-Roman traditions
Western culture
b
: of or relating to the noncommunist countries of Europe and America
Western powers
c
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the American West
Western clothes
western music
3
Western
: of or relating to the Roman Catholic or Protestant segment of Christianity
Western liturgies
1
: one that is produced in or characteristic of a western region and especially the western U.S.
2
often capitalized
: a novel, story, motion picture, or broadcast dealing with life in the western U.S. especially during the latter half of the 19th century
Examples of western in a Sentence
Adjective
the western part of the state
Old western movies are my favorites.
Recent Examples on the Web
Freya Drohan, Vogue, 25 Apr. 2025
No Western country formally recognized the move, and the United Nations General Assembly passed resolutions affirming Ukraine's sovereignty over Crimea.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Andy Swift, TVLine, 19 Apr. 2025
Tensions are high between officials and townspeople in Eddington, New Mexico on June 2, 2020 in the teaser trailer for the black comedy western, Eddington.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for western
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Adjective
Decades later, still enamored with Western iconography and cowboy culture, the artistic director of Pucci returned to the Texan capital—this time to host a spirited takeover of the historic Austin Motel alongside Mytheresa.
—Freya Drohan, Vogue, 25 Apr. 2025
No Western country formally recognized the move, and the United Nations General Assembly passed resolutions affirming Ukraine's sovereignty over Crimea.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
Life in Ransom Canyon will never be the same by the end of the Netflix western’s first season.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 19 Apr. 2025
Tensions are high between officials and townspeople in Eddington, New Mexico on June 2, 2020 in the teaser trailer for the black comedy western, Eddington.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for western
Cite this Entry
“Western.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/western. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
western
1 of 2 adjective
west·ern
ˈwes-tərn 
1
capitalized
: of, relating to, or resembling that of the West
2
: lying toward or coming from the west
a western storm
western
2 of 2 noun
: a story, film, or radio or television show about life in the western U.S. in the last part of the 19th century
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