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

“They wake up in the morning, they wanna compete. And the games count for the regular season. We all recognize how difficult the Western Conference is. And every game is gonna matter.”

From Los Angeles Times

The AU embraced its multilateralism but recoiled from being lectured on human rights and democracy and were divided on Western military interventions such as in Libya.

From BBC

They know the Russians will continue to ramp up these attacks, he said – it’s why his government is constantly asking for more air defence from Western allies.

From BBC

As of 4 November 2024, the Western Trust had two patients in the same situation.

From BBC

The shifting balance of power between these aesthetic worldviews encapsulates the story of what happened when Japan was pried open to Western influences.

From Los Angeles Times