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Definition of westerly

westerly

/ˈwɛstərli/
west · er · ly
Plural:westerlies
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westerly Lexical Profile

westerly Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

The prevailing winds blowing from the west on the poleward sides of the horse latitudes.

Example

"Commercial flights often catch the westerlies to significantly reduce their eastward travel time."

2

A wind or air current blowing from the west.

Example

"The sailors relied on a steady westerly to carry them swiftly across the ocean."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for westerly
Antonyms
View all antonyms for westerly

Word Nuance & Usage

When describing wind or weather currents, 'westerly' indicates movement coming *from* the west, whereas when describing travel or a bearing, it typically indicates movement going *toward* the west.

• Rhymes for westerly

• Nearby Words

westbrook
westbury
westerland
westerly
western blind snake
western brown snake
western bush viper

Word Origin & Etymology

Formed from the root 'west' and the suffix '-erly', patterned after similar directional words like 'easterly'. First recorded in English in the late 16th century.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Westerly. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 13, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/westerly
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