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

Percy’s successor, Democratic Sen. Paul Simon of Makanda in southern Illinois, served with Dixon and then Moseley Braun in the early to mid-1990s. —Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2025

Meanwhile Saturday, a major explosion rocked a port in southern Iran just after the talks began, killing 14 people and injuring more than 750 others. —Arkansas Online, 27 Apr. 2025

He’s succeeded in drastically reducing border crossings by migrants at the southern border. —Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2025

The administration has poured in resources to stop the spiraling immigration situation at the southern border. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 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