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

Another strike Saturday targeted a group of people in the sprawling tent camp of Muwasi in southern Gaza, killing one and wounding eight others, according to Nasser Hospital, where the casualties were taken. —Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026

The knock-on effect is a shortage of fuel and munitions for Russian frontline troops in southern Ukraine, further disrupting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s wartime goals. —Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN Money, 20 June 2026

Tucker, the Special Agent in Charge for Texas and Oklahoma, said visitors should leave with memories of Southern hospitality and brisket – not encounters with illicit drugs laced with a deadly dose of fentanyl. —Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 20 June 2026

These iconic Southern shrubs can become quite large, but more new, compact reblooming types do well as foundation plantings. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 20 June 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