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

Calvert’s current district, spanning the southern Riverside suburbs to Palm Springs, was Trump +6 in 2024. —David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025

Officials say Payne coordinated with several other Chinese nationals, who also face federal drug trafficking and money laundering charges, to purchase thousands of dollars in cutting agents for sale across southern Ohio. —David Ferrara, The Enquirer, 4 Sep. 2025

The super generation from the west side of the country flies to southern California, but the super generation from the east, which passes through Wisconsin, are the butterflies that migrate to Mexico each year. —Alyssa N. Salcedo, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025

Another massive port project nearly 1,000 miles off the southeast coast of India is being planned for construction in Galathea Bay on the southern tip of the Nicobar Islands. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 4 Sep. 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