northern

1 of 2

adjective

north·​ern ˈnȯr-t͟hərn How to pronounce northern (audio)
ˈnȯr-t͟hən
1
capitalized
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated North
b
: of, relating to, or constituting the northern dialect
2
a
: lying toward the north
b
: coming from the north
a northern storm

northern

2 of 2

noun

1
capitalized : the dialect of English spoken in the part of the U.S. north of a line running northwest through central New Jersey, below the northern tier of counties in Pennsylvania, through northern Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, across central Iowa, and through the northwest corner of South Dakota
2

Examples of northern in a Sentence

Adjective the northern part of the state
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Iran’s most powerful militia proxy, Hezbollah in Israel’s northern neighbor Lebanon, sat out the whole war, having endured a fatal bludgeoning by Israel in the September-November 2024 conflict. Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 Progress with Canada has been a roller coaster, starting with the U.S. president poking at the nation’s northern neighbor and repeatedly suggesting it would be absorbed as a U.S. state. Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2025
Noun
Clemens told us the water there was 150 feet deep, with concentrations of big northerns, walleyes, and muskies. Don Shiner, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2025 Dozens of log pilings were sticking a foot or so above the water, ideal for bass and northerns. Don Shiner, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for northern

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English northerne, from Old English; akin to Old High German nordrōni northern, Old English north north

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Noun

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Northern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/northern. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

northern

adjective
north·​ern
ˈnȯr-t͟hə(r)n
1
capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of the North
2
: lying toward or coming from the north
a northern storm
northernmost
-ˌmōst
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on northern

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