What does "west" mean?
The direction opposite to that of the earth's rotation, specifically 270°.
West
/wɛst/ adj, adv, name, noun, verb
adj, adv, name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The direction opposite to that of the earth's rotation, specifically 270°.
- Grammar: west is listed as adj, adv, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: westward, africa, america, antarctic.
- Useful contrasts: east, east side, eastern.
- Usage evidence: Many men went west in search of gold.
How to use "west"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "west" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "west" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "west" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "west" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "west" is acting as adj, adv, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "westward" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "west", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The direction opposite to that of the earth's rotation, specifically 270°.
"We used to live in the west of the country."
- 2 a location in the western part of a country, region, or city wordnet
- 3 The western region or area; the inhabitants thereof.
- 4 the cardinal compass point that is at 270 degrees wordnet
- 5 In a church: the direction of the gallery, opposite to the altar, and opposite to the direction faced by the priest when celebrating ad orientem.
"In two respects, however, the cathedral [of St. Mary's in Sydney, Australia] differs from English traditions: it is oriented north-south, not east-west; and its main entry is from the south (liturgical west) between the two towers, in the French manner."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 the direction corresponding to the westward cardinal compass point wordnet
Verb
- 1 To move to the west; (of the sun) to set.
"Foure times his place he shifted hath in sight, / And twice has risen, where he now doth West, / And wested twice, where he ought rise aright."
Adjective
- 1 Situated or lying in or toward the west; westward. not-comparable
- 2 Of wind: from the west. not-comparable
- 3 Of or pertaining to the west; western. not-comparable
- 4 From the West; occidental. not-comparable
- 5 Designating, or situated in, the liturgical west, that part of a church which is opposite to, and farthest from, the part containing the chancel. not-comparable
"Interior in 1925, (left) looking north to chancel and (right) looking south (to liturgical west end) It was on account of this connection that St James's became the clowns 'church', an annual clowns' service being held there ..."
Adjective
- 1 situated in or facing or moving toward the west wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Towards the west; westwards.
"This thoroughfare bears (to the) West."
Adverb
- 1 to, toward, or in the west wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A placename:; The western world; i.e. the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. countable, uncountable
- 2 A placename:; The Western Bloc (the non-communist nations of Europe and America). countable, historical, uncountable
"When I came to Washington forty-seven years ago, the predominant issue was ensuring that the United States would step up to the communist threat, both abroad and at home. The ultimate satisfaction is to have lived long enough to see the West defeat communism and begin a new, equally arduous, equally noble campaign to ensure the victory of freedom, both abroad and at home."
- 3 A placename:; The Western United States (sometimes excluding the West Coast), particularly (historical) in reference to the 19th century Wild West. US, countable, uncountable
"I was about to say that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see I will have to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve fame until some time after I left New York for the West."
- 4 A placename:; The Western Roman Empire, or its successors. countable, historical, uncountable
- 5 A placename:; The part of the Christian Church whose traditions and practices originated in the territories of the former Western Roman Empire, including the Roman Catholic Church and the churches of the Reformation. countable, uncountable
"I shall constantly reckon among the Saints those whom the Eastern Church, whether with or without the consent of the West, so accounts."
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 A placename:; A town in Holmes County, Mississippi, United States. countable, uncountable
- 7 A placename:; A city in McLennan County, Texas, United States. countable, uncountable
- 8 A placename:; An unincorporated community in Wetzel County, West Virginia, United States. countable, uncountable
- 9 A placename:; A number of townships in the United States, in Illinois (2), Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania, listed under West Township. countable, uncountable
- 10 Regions or countries lying to the west of a specified or implied point of orientation. countable, uncountable
- 11 The western part of any region. countable, uncountable
"Senegal is a nation that lies in the West."
- 12 One of four positions at 90-degree intervals that lies to the west or on the left of a diagram. countable, uncountable
- 13 A person (as a bridge player) occupying this position during a specified activity. countable
- 14 A surname from Middle English for a newcomer from the west, or someone who lived to the west of a village. countable
"Kanye West took to social media to speak about mental health after a fan claimed that the rapper was “off his meds”."
Example
"Many men went west in search of gold."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "west"?
Common synonyms include: westward, africa, america, antarctic, antipodes, arctic.
How do you use "west" in a sentence?
Many men went west in search of gold.
How do you pronounce "west"?
Pronounced /wɛst/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
PIE word *wek(ʷ)speros From Middle English west, from Old English west, from Proto-West Germanic *westr (“western”), from Proto-Germanic *westrą (“west”), from Proto-Germanic *westraz (“west”), from Proto-Indo-European *wek(ʷ)speros (“evening”). Cognates Cognate with Scots wast (“west”), North Frisian waast, weest, wäst (“west”), Saterland Frisian Wääste (“west”), West Frisian, Dutch west (“west”), German West (“west”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk vest (“west”), Faroese, Icelandic vestur (“west”), Swedish väst, väster (“west”); also with Irish feascar, feasgar (“evening; vespers”), Cornish gorthugher (“evening”), Manx fastyr (“afternoon, evening; vespers”), Scottish Gaelic feasgar (“afternoon, evening”), Latin vesper (“evening”), Ancient Greek ἕσπερος (hésperos, “evening; western”), Latvian vakars (“evening”), Lithuanian vakaras (“evening”), Czech, Slovak and Slovene večer (“evening”), Kashubian wieczór (“evening”), Polish wieczerz, wieczór (“evening”), Russian вечер (večer, “evening”), Serbo-Croatian вече, вечер, veče, večer (“evening”), Armenian գիշեր (gišer, “night”). Compare also Catalan oest (“west”), French ouest (“west”), Galician oeste, ueste (“west”), Italian ovest (“west”), Portuguese, Spanish oeste (“west”) (all ultimately borrowings of the Old English word).
Etymology 2
* In most senses and as an English surname, from west, the direction. * As a Finnish surname, Americanized from Vesterinen.