southern

1 of 2

adjective

south·​ern ˈsə-t͟hərn 

1

Southern : 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 Southernness

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

Typhoon Dolphin moved over Japan's southern remote islands Friday, causing a main airport on Okinawa to close and grounding all flights in and out of the island, while sending hundreds of people to take shelter at evacuation centers. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026

In February, a teacher died and a student was wounded in southern Thailand’s Hat Yai district after a gunman opened fire at a school. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026

The object turned out to be a drone armed with explosives and was discovered in a secure cargo area near the southern runway. — Callum Sutherland, Time, 6 Aug. 2026

Over the weekend, a Russian drone struck the Holy Vvedenska [Presentation] Church in southern Ukraine’s Beryslav historic settlement, setting it on fire, reported local news site Most. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026

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