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

Pull invasive plants Sugar Creek chapter of the Ozark Society is partnering with the Nature Conservancy Nov. 14 for invasive species removal at the Logan Springs Preserve in the Logan community of southern Benton County. —Flip Putthoff, arkansasonline.com, 5 Nov. 2024

These birds, which have been found primarily in southern South America, had slender bodies and unique locomotor adaptations for running, with the largest species being flightless. —Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Overnight into Monday, as Moldova counted its final votes, Romanian fighter jets took off less than 40 miles from Moldova’s southern border after Russian drones approached its airspace. —Clare Sebastian, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024

Rain showers are also possible in Florida and the southern Appalachians. —Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024

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