southwest

"Southwest" can point you on a compass: it is the direction halfway between south and west. It can also refer to the southwestern part of a country or map. In the United States, "the Southwest" usually means a region centered on states such as Arizona and New Mexico, and sometimes nearby parts of Texas, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, or California. The word is also used for things connected with that region, such as Southwestern food, art, or building style. If you are traveling southwest, you are going in that general direction.

"Southwest" is a versatile word with both directional and regional meanings. First, it names the direction on a compass that lies halfway between south and west. It is used in everyday travel, weather reports, maps, and navigation: "The wind is coming from the southwest," or "Drive southwest for twenty miles."

The word is also often used as a regional name. In American English, "the Southwest" usually refers to the dry, warm part of the southwestern United States, especially Arizona and New Mexico, and sometimes nearby areas. The exact border is flexible, so different speakers may include different states. In this sense, the term often brings to mind deserts, canyons, adobe buildings, and a history shaped by Indigenous peoples, Spanish influence, Mexico, and the United States.

From there, the meaning extends to culture and style. "Southwestern" can describe food, art, architecture, and design linked to that region. A restaurant might serve Southwestern dishes, or a home might be decorated in a Southwestern style with earthy colors and desert-inspired details.

More broadly, the term can describe anything that comes from that area or feels typical of it. So whether you are reading a map, talking about a part of the United States, or describing a regional look or flavor, "southwest" helps point to both a direction and a place.