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

An area of low pressure in the southwestern Atlantic is expected to move close to the northwestern Bahamas and southern Florida in one or two days, according to the NHC. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025

The discovery site is in Guizhou province of southern China. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025

Typically, northern gardeners plant bare-root peonies in the ground in September, and mid-latitude gardeners plant in October or even into early November in the southern reaches of the peony’s range. —Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Oct. 2025

The accessible entrance will be just across the road from that, at the far southern point of the venue. —Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 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