southern

1 of 2

adjective

south·​ern ˈsə-t͟hərn 

1

capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated South

2

a

: lying toward the south

b

: coming from the south

a southern wind

southernness

ˈsə-t͟hərn-nəs 

noun often capitalized

Southern

2 of 2

noun

: the dialect of English spoken in most of the Chesapeake Bay area, the coastal plain and the greater part of the upland plateau in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, and the Gulf states at least as far west as the valley of the Brazos in Texas and sometimes taken to include the south Midland area

Examples of southern in a Sentence

Adjective

the southern part of the state

the southern shore of the lake

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Nadav Gat, public adjuster and team leader with Avner Gat, an insurance adjustment group based in Los Angeles, said some claims from the 2018 Woolsey Fire that raged through the Simi Valley area in northwest Los Angeles and southern Ventura counties dragged into 2024. —Janhvi Bhojwani, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025

Robb Hill for The Washington Post/Getty Images Much of the southern U.S. is bracing for significant snowfall and frigid temperatures this week. —Mara Hoplamazian, NPR, 9 Jan. 2025

The article mentions a number of places across the world specializing in the offer of polar plunges including one in southern Tasmania, where cold-water enthusiasts can step out of bed and dive directly into the D'Entrecasteaux Channel. —Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025

There is a shortage of community options in central and southern Illinois, and only one staff coordinator each assigned to help residents trying to transition out of Choate and Shapiro Developmental Center in Kankakee, according to the Equip for Equality report. —A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English southern, southren, from Old English sūtherne; akin to Old High German sundrōni southern, Old English sūth south

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1935, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing southern

• southern corn rootworm
• southern fur seal
• southern hemisphere
• southern lights
• southern maidenhair fern
• southern minke whale

Kids Definition

southern

adjective

south·​ern ˈsət͟h-ərn 

1

capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of the South

2

: lying toward or coming from the south

southernmost

-ˌmōst 

adjective