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

Controlling Morocco will complete the audacious Chinese plan: The Strait, with Morocco at its southern end, is only eight miles wide. —Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024

Gallego credited his election win last month to a campaign connected to Arizona’s voters that quickly centered around the difficulties of families managing inflation and wanting better control over the southern border. —Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 10 Dec. 2024

Shortly after No Name was unveiled, White played a string of surprise club and bar show in southern U.S. states. —Sophie Williams, Billboard, 10 Dec. 2024

Four days later, sirens sounded as rockets flew out of Gaza and into southern Israel. —Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 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