I. ˈwes-tərn adjective
Etymology: Middle English westerne, from Old English; akin to Old High German westrōni western, Old English west
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : coming from the west
a western storm
b. : lying toward the west
2. capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated West: as
a. : steeped in or stemming from the Greco-Roman traditions
Western culture
b. : of or relating to the noncommunist countries of Europe and America
c. : of or relating to the American West
Western clothes
3. capitalized : of or relating to the Roman Catholic or Protestant segment of Christianity
Western liturgies
• west·ern·most -ˌmōst adjective
II. noun
Date: 1612
1. : one that is produced in or characteristic of a western region and especially the western United States
2. often capitalized : a novel, story, motion picture, or broadcast dealing with life in the western United States especially during the latter half of the 19th century