North West
In short
The north west is an intercardinal direction located halfway between north and west on a compass.
In plain words
It is a direction that points towards the top left of a map. If you turn halfway between facing north and facing west, you are facing north west.
A simple example
If you are driving from London towards Liverpool, you are travelling in a north west direction.
Why it matters
It helps people navigate accurately when four main directions are not enough. It provides a more precise way to describe a path or a location.
Easy to mix up
It is often confused with southwest, which lies halfway between south and west.