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HOW TO PRONOUNCE

western

/ˈwɛstɚn/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:47
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What does western mean?

adjective

  1. Of, facing, situated in, or related to the west.
  2. Of a wind, blowing from the west; westerly.
  3. Occidental.
More meanings (10)

noun

  1. A film, or some other dramatic work, set in, the historic (c. 1850–1910) American West (west of the Mississippi river) focusing on conflict between whites and Indians, lawmen and outlaws, ranchers and farmers, or industry (railroads, mining) and agriculture.
  2. A certain genre of fiction (in literature, film, or gaming) dealing with the American Old West; a work in this genre.
  3. (dated) An inhabitant of a western region or country.

adjective

  1. Of or pertaining to the cultures and traditions of the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand (the West).
  2. Of or pertaining to the western United States (the West).
  3. Originating from Europe.
  4. (historical) Of or pertaining to the Western Bloc.

proper noun

  1. A surname.
  2. A village in Saline County, Nebraska, United States.
  3. A town in Oneida County, New York, United States.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ˈwɛstɚn/

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Other dictionary pronunciations

/ˈwɛs.təɹn/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

Macedonia's geographical isolation, technological backwardness, and potential political instability place it far down the list of countries of interest to Western investors.
United States. Central Intelligence AgencyThe 1993 CIA World FactbookProject Gutenberg ebook #87
The figure was apparently descending into the valley, and in relief against the crimson screen of the western sky, it looked gigantic.
Henry JamesRoderick HudsonProject Gutenberg ebook #176
More book examples (3)
Shinny, such as is enjoyed by white boys on the ice, is still played on the open prairie by the western Sioux.
Charles A. EastmanIndian BoyhoodProject Gutenberg ebook #337
Perhaps in nothing do the Chinese differ from their Western friends in the matter of amusements more than in regard to sports.
Tingfang WuAmerica, Through the Spectacles of an Oriental DiplomatProject Gutenberg ebook #609
The bright metal track, purpling like all else in the cool distance, was all that linked one with Eastern or Western civilization.
Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy) BirdA Lady's Life in the Rocky MountainsProject Gutenberg ebook #755