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

The reason most of the snow was on the southern periphery of the Denver metro area down into southern Colorado is the second storm took a track farther south turning into an Albuquerque Low. —Dave Aguilera, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026

Its supply chain spans continents — chemical precursors from China, synthesized in Mexico, and transported across the southern border in quantities small enough to evade traditional enforcement — before spreading into communities far from any border. —Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026

Now in post-production, the film promises a more expansive big-screen look, embracing 35mm in place of Mandico’s usual 16mm and favoring real locations over studio sets, including Cinecittà’s storied backlots and natural settings in Rome, Nice, Occitanie, and southern France. —Ben Croll, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026

On Friday, relatives wept over the bodies of a 16-year-old girl and her two nephews who were killed in their tent in southern Gaza. —Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 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