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

In Napa, cool air and fog flow through the San Pablo Bay and up the valley floor, particularly impacting southern AVAs like Carneros, Stags Leap, and Oak Knoll. —Jessica Dupuy, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025

Each of the five options show the southern precincts 1 and 2 interlocked in U-shapes, with the northern precincts 3 and 4 relatively unchanged from the current map. —Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 May 2025

Hadi grew up in southern Iraq during wartime, and over the years worked in journalism, production and as an adjunct professor at NYU’s Graduate Film Program. —Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 May 2025

Recommended The military now controls zones at southern border. —John Okot, Christian Science Monitor, 20 May 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