western

[ wes-tern ]

adjective

1. lying toward or situated in the west:

   our company's western office.

2. directed or proceeding toward the west:

   a western migration.

3. coming or originating from the west, as a wind.
4. (often initial capital letter) of, pertaining to, living in, or characteristic of the West, especially the western U.S.:

   a Western ranch.

5. (usually initial capital letter) Occidental:

   to adopt Western dress.

6. (usually initial capital letter) of or relating to the non-Communist countries of Europe and the Americas:

   Western trade agreements.

7. (initial capital letter) of or relating to the Western Church.

noun

1. (often initial capital letter) a story, movie, or radio or television play about the U.S. West of the 19th century.
2. western sandwich.
3. a person or thing from a western region or country.

Western

¹

/ ˈwɛstən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the West as opposed to the Orient
2. (formerly) of, relating to, or characteristic of the Americas and the parts of Europe not under Communist rule
3. of, relating to, or characteristic of the western states of the US

noun

1. a film, book, etc, concerned with life in the western states of the US, esp during the era of exploration and early development

western

²

/ ˈwɛstən /

adjective

1. situated in or towards or facing the west
2. going or directed to or towards the west
3. (of a wind, etc) coming or originating from the west
4. native to, inhabiting, or growing in the west
5. music See country and western

Other Words From

• anti-Western adjective
• non·western adjective noun
• pro-Western adjective
• un·western adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of western¹

before 1050; 1905–10 western fordef 8; Middle English, Old English westerne, equivalent to west west + -erne -ern

Example Sentences

The onions were directly distributed in many western and midwestern states, including Colorado, Iowa, and Kansas.

From BBC

She said Amazon has "created the spending habits" of western consumers by acting as a trustworthy middleman between them and manufacturers.

From BBC

Red pandas are native to the eastern Himalayas and south western China but have become an endangered species, mainly due to habitat loss, human interference and poaching.

From BBC

As the mold digests the proteins and starch within the fibrous pulp, it also breaks down the cellulose, turning what remains into a dish beloved by many across western Indonesia.

From Salon

Dana weather systems are not uncommon in Spain – they typically happen around 10 to 20 times a years in the western Mediterranean.

From BBC