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

Restaurant Mola Mola At the southern tip of Ishigaki inside Ishigaki Seaside Hotel, Mola Mola offers sweeping ocean views and an impressive buffet. —Kaila Yu, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025

Forecasters are advising residents along the southern and southwestern coast of Mexico to monitor the progress of the system, as there is a 90% chance of formation through the next 48 hours. —Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025

This area covers the southern portion of Citrus Heights and part of Carmichael. —Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2025

The day the tsunami struck, Great Nicobar’s southern tip sank by around 15 feet, slipping into the ocean. —M. Rajshekhar, Time, 11 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