This is the 764th most frequent Russian word.
запад
"Запад" means "West" in English.
'Запад' here is used to indicate a geographical direction or location within a city.
Я живу на западе Москвы.
I live in the west of Moscow.
'Запад' is used to describe the origin of the wind in a specific direction.
Ветер дул с запада, принося тёмные тучи.
The wind blew from the west, bringing dark clouds.
'Западная' is the adjectival form of 'запад', used to describe the culture linked to Western regions.