north

1 of 3

adverb

: to, toward, or in the north

see also north of

north

2 of 3

adjective

1
: situated toward or at the north
the north entrance
2
: coming from the north
a north wind

north

3 of 3

noun

1
a
: the direction of the north terrestrial pole : the direction to the left of one facing east
b
: the compass point directly opposite to south
2
capitalized
a
: regions or countries lying to the north of a specified or implied point of orientation
b
: the industrially and economically developed nations of the world compare south sense 5
3
often capitalized
a
: the one of four positions at 90-degree intervals that lies to the north or at the top of a diagram
b
: a person occupying this position in the course of a specified activity (such as the game of bridge)

Examples of north in a Sentence

Adverb Turn north onto Elm Street. It's a few miles north of here. The bird is found as far north as Canada. Noun The wind is coming from the north. The birds migrate from the North. Parts of the North were hit hard by the storm. I grew up in the North. The American Civil War was between the North and the South.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
Working north from there, Caltrans finished four additional miles of lanes in Carlsbad last year. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024 But the drugs would not be coming north in such large numbers if not for our guns flowing south. Ieva Jusionyte, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024 The following months are spent migrating back north, attracting droves of avid whale watchers in the U.S. However, rare sightings of gray whales in the Atlantic have stirred excitement from time to time, leading to speculation about the species' sporadic appearances near the East Coast. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024 Lows spin counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning southerly winds ahead of the system were pumping north a warm, humid air mass directly from the Gulf of Mexico. Naomi Schanen, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 Morel mushrooms have started popping up in southern Indiana and the tasty morsels will spread north as spring and warmer weather arrives. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2024 And so a lot of people are fearful that that will happen, and, as a result, many, many people have left and gone either north toward Deir al-Balah or have gone by the coast. Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Also on the list is Luna Pier, which is further north and closer to the path's edge. Elissa Robinson, Detroit Free Press, 8 Mar. 2024 Perhaps just a third of an inch in the driest spots north and west. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Focus areas for Safe Zone will be on Detroit’s north and south sides spanning from Curtis Avenue to Schoolcraft Road, and east and west orders from Wyoming Avenue to Hubbell Street. Detroit Free Press, 26 Aug. 2023 Currie Commons is a 187-unit complex under construction in the Harrison neighborhood of north Minneapolis, where the poverty rate exceeds 30%. Mark Niquette and Augusta Saraiva, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Aug. 2023 Storms on Tuesday afternoon took down a lot of trees and caused other wind damage in north Alabama. Leigh Morgan, al, 19 July 2023 Six minutes later, San Diego Police and California Highway Patrol received calls about a rollover crash involving a white convertible on north Interstate 805 at Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, police said. Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2023 In a moment, the Pacific Plate shifted north by an average of 15 feet relative to its North American partner. WIRED, 15 June 2023 Some north Alabama counties have been dropped from the watch, but others have been added to the south: Storms overnight could be packing damaging wind gusts and hail, forecasters said. Leigh Morgan, al, 11 June 2023 Lake Como, an upside-down Y set in the Alpine foothills of north Lombardy, is Italy’s deepest body of water and its third largest. Richard Godwin, Travel + Leisure, 5 June 2023 With the exception of the far north part of the state, most of Arkansas is at a slight risk for severe weather, the weather service said. Remington Miller, Arkansas Online, 17 May 2023
Noun
Filming on location in France’s rural north, Dumont devises images as ecstatic, in rapturous natural settings, as Carl Theodor Dreyer does in starkly theatrical ones. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024 Temperatures will warm up on Friday to the upper 40s north and mid-to-upper 50s south. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 18 Mar. 2024 The supplies will be dispatched by truck, including in Gaza's north, said José Andrés, a renowned Spanish American chef who founded the World Central Kitchen. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 2024 Phoenix billboard known for anti-Trump imagery debuts new artwork Births in Arizona outpace deaths for first year since COVID-19 as state adds 66K new residents More showers and scattered thunderstorm activity, primarily north and east of Phoenix, were expected to pick up again on Monday afternoon. Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 17 Mar. 2024 Recommended Nearly one in three children under 2 years old in the isolated north are suffering acute malnutrition, the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF reported Friday. Samy Magdy, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Mar. 2024 Stretching from Del Mar north to Mission Viejo, the 49th is a purple district, with Democrats holding a slim voter registration advantage. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024 Four maps explain how Sweden and Finland will alter NATO’s security The addition of Sweden and Finland will strengthen NATO in the far north, where Russia keeps much of it second-strike capability, and boost its presence around the Baltic Sea, particularly around the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Emily Rauhala, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 Since the start of the year, Biden officials have made six visits to the state — from Milwaukee and Waukesha to Madison and north to Green Bay and Superior. Lawrence Andrea, Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'north.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German nord north and perhaps to Greek nerteros lower, infernal

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of north was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near north

Cite this Entry

“North.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/north. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

north

1 of 3 adverb
: to or toward the north

north

2 of 3 adjective
1
: placed or lying toward or at the north
the north entrance
2
: coming from the north
a north wind

north

3 of 3 noun
1
a
: the direction to the left of one facing east
b
: the compass point opposite to south
2
capitalized : regions or countries north of a point that is mentioned or understood

Biographical Definition

North 1 of 3

biographical name (1)

Douglass Cecil 1920–2015 American economist

North

2 of 3

biographical name (2)

Frederick 1732–1792 Lord North English statesman; prime minister (1770–82)

North

3 of 3

biographical name (3)

Sir Thomas 1535–?1603 English translator

More from Merriam-Webster on north

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