/ Dictionary / Index N northwest: Meaning and Definition of Find definitions for: north•west Pronunciation: (nôrth"west'Naut.nôr"west'), [key] — n. a point on the compass midway between north and west. Abbr.: NW a region in this direction. the northwestern part of the United States, esp. Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. the northwestern part of the United States when its western boundary was the Mississippi River. the northwestern part of Canada. —adj. coming from the northwest: a northwest wind. directed toward the northwest: sailing a northwest course. —adv. from the northwest. toward the northwest: sailing northwest. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease. See also: northwest (Thesaurus) northward northwest by north Related Content Daily Word Quiz: acquiesce Analogy of the Day: Today’s Analogy Spelling Bee: Today’s Spelling Bee Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language