1
: situated toward or at the west
the west exit
2
: coming from the west
a west wind
1
a
: the general direction of sunset : the direction to the left of one facing north
b
: the compass point directly opposite to east
2
capitalized
a
: regions or countries lying to the west of a specified or implied point of orientation
b
: the noncommunist countries of Europe and America
3
: the end of a church opposite the chancel
4
often capitalized
a
: the one of four positions at 90-degree intervals that lies to the west or at the left of a diagram
b
: a person (such as a bridge player) occupying this position during a specified activity
Examples of west in a Sentence
Adverb
They drove west after they got off the highway.
They live just west of here.
Adjective
cities on the west coast
Noun
There's a beautiful pond to the west of the trail.
We will be traveling into the city from the west.
If that way is east, then this way is west.
Floods have caused extensive damage in the West.
Come explore the natural wonders of the American West.
policies foreign to the West
Recent Examples on the Web
Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 5 July 2024
About 15 minutes west of Rugby, make sure to stop at Northrup Falls in the 165-acre Colditz Cove natural area.
—Korrin Bishop, Southern Living, 4 July 2024
Delaney Dryfoos, Journal Sentinel, 4 July 2024
While stocking her fridge at a Sandals resort on the west side of the island, Dancer has also been coordinating with clients whose vacations and honeymoons have been interrupted by the hurricane.
—Susan Miller, USA TODAY, 2 July 2024
Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2024
Lisa Portelli, a senior advisor on homelessness to Mayor Buddy Dyer, said such a facility wouldn’t be in Parramore, the neighborhood west of downtown Orlando where the bulk of the region’s shelter beds are clustered.
—Ryan Gillespie, Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for west 
Adverb
As Friday began, the storm’s center was about 90 miles (145 kilometers) southeast of Tulum and was moving west at 16 mph (about 26 kph), the hurricane center said.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 5 July 2024
About 15 minutes west of Rugby, make sure to stop at Northrup Falls in the 165-acre Colditz Cove natural area.
—Korrin Bishop, Southern Living, 4 July 2024
Adjective
Davis Pond is restoring wetlands in the upper Barataria Basin on the west side of the Mississippi River near Luling, in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, while Caernarvon delivers sediments and nutrients to Breton Sound on the river’s east bank in Plaquemines Parish.
—Delaney Dryfoos, Journal Sentinel, 4 July 2024
While stocking her fridge at a Sandals resort on the west side of the island, Dancer has also been coordinating with clients whose vacations and honeymoons have been interrupted by the hurricane.
—Susan Miller, USA TODAY, 2 July 2024
Noun
Downtown Baltimore is not far away, and as Wittenberg pointed out, Mount Vernon and its restaurants and cultural attractions are just to the west, across the Jones Falls Expressway.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2024
Lisa Portelli, a senior advisor on homelessness to Mayor Buddy Dyer, said such a facility wouldn’t be in Parramore, the neighborhood west of downtown Orlando where the bulk of the region’s shelter beds are clustered.
—Ryan Gillespie, Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for west
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'west.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near west
Cite this Entry
“West.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/west. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
west
1 of 3 adverb
: to or toward the west
west
2 of 3 adjective1
: situated toward or at the west
the west entrance
2
: coming from the west
a west wind
west
3 of 3 noun1
: the direction of sunset : the compass point opposite to east
2
capitalized
a
: regions or countries west of a point that is mentioned or understood
b
: the countries of Europe and the Americas that are not communist
Biographical Definition
West
2 of 4biographical name (2)
Nathanael 1903–1940 originally Nathan Wallenstein Weinstein American novelist
West
3 of 4biographical name (3)
Dame Rebecca 1892–1983 pseudonym of Cicily Isabel Andrews née Fairfield English critic and novelist
West
4 of 4biographical name (4)
Thomas see de la warr
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