western

The word “western” means of, in, or relating to the west. In plain terms, relating to the west, or a cowboy-era story/film genre.

“Western” is pronounced WEHS-tuhn (/ˈwɛstɚn/ in IPA).

Here is “western” used in a sentence: “They grew up in a small town in western Kansas.”

Depending on how it is used, “western” can be an adjective and a noun.

The word “western” comes from Old English. From Old English westerne, formed from west plus the adjective ending -ern, seen also in "northern" and "eastern.".

“Western” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Western” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: of, in, or relating to the west.

Western usually describes something located in or belonging to the west, as in 'western France.' Westerly describes direction or movement, especially of wind — a westerly wind blows from the west. Put simply, western tends to tell you where something is, while westerly tells you which way.

With a capital W, Western refers to the cultures, values, and countries of Europe and the Americas, rooted in Greek, Roman, and Christian traditions — as contrasted with Eastern or other cultures. It appears in phrases like Western art, Western philosophy, Western medicine, and the Western world.

The direct opposite is eastern, relating to the east. Depending on context, western can also contrast with central, northern, or southern when a region is divided, or with 'Eastern' and 'Oriental' when describing broad cultural spheres of the world.

Used as a noun, a western is a film, book, or TV show set in the American Old West, typically featuring cowboys, frontier towns, and the nineteenth-century frontier. The genre takes its name from the adjective's link to the western United States.