Copy Citation
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ1
a
: the direction of the south terrestrial pole : the direction to the right of one facing east
b
: the compass point directly opposite to north
2
capitalized
: regions or countries lying to the south of a specified or implied point of orientation
especially
: the southeastern part of the U.S.
4
often capitalized
a
: the one of four positions at 90-degree intervals that lies to the south or at the bottom of a diagram
b
: a person (such as a bridge player) occupying this position in the course of a specified activity
specifically
: the declarer in bridge
5
often capitalized
: the developing nations of the world : third world sense 1 compare north sense 2b
Example Sentences
Adverb
Turn south onto Elm Street.
It's a mile south of here.
The birds fly south in the winter.
The company's profits have gone south in recent months.
The TV show's ratings have been heading south.
Noun
The wind blew from the south.
The birds migrate from the South.
Parts of the South were hit hard by the storm.
I grew up in the South.
The American Civil War was between the North and the South.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Louis Casiano, Fox News, 24 Jan. 2023
Alhambra is about 2 miles south of Monterey Park and also has a sizable Asian and immigrant population.
—Erick Mendoza, NBC News, 23 Jan. 2023
Adham Kamal, who took over Hollywood Shawarma just over a year ago, grew up in As-Suwayda (sometimes also spelled Sweida) in southwestern Syria, about 70 miles south of Damascus and near the Jordanian border.
—Bill Addisonrestaurant Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2023
Concerns over another rural outbreak also lingered in the mind of Liu Han, a villager who had recently returned to Xiangtan, 700 miles south of Jinzhong.
—John Liu, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2023
Many travelers want to head south to catch a few rays – and maybe waves.
—Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2023
The bats head south for the winter to Mexico between late October and early November as the first cold fronts start to appear in Texas.
—Anna Mazurek, Chron, 2 Jan. 2023
For the walk, start at the grassy park at Pine Avenue and Carlsbad Boulevard, head south to Tamarack Avenue, then return, for a total round trip of about a mile.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2022
But head south for a different kind of experience in Pakse, where two rivers converge in the country's second biggest city.
—CNN, 21 Dec. 2022
Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2023
In 2020 in another big acquisition, Capital Commercial bought American Airlines’ former headquarters at the south end of DFW International Airport.
—Dallas News, 22 Dec. 2022
In particular, reaching the south end of West Valley City or Kearns becomes harder — as does getting to much of Holladay, Midvale or Sandy.
—Andy Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 Dec. 2022
Where to stay: On the south end of town, historic Camp Richardson offers rustic cabins and 27 lodge rooms plus snowshoeing on Lake Tahoe.
—Nina Kokotas Hahn, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Dec. 2022
West Hartford leaders approved a new Starbucks with a drive-through Wednesday night, but several residents complained that traffic in the south end of town is bad and getting worse.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 30 Nov. 2022
There have been some photos provided to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory that suggest that the south end of the caldera has overflowed, causing some lava flows a few kilometers (miles) out of the caldera, Hon said.
—Caleb Jones, Chicago Tribune, 28 Nov. 2022
At the south end of the half-finished dune, a thick pipe discharged a slurry of sand and water, pumped up from the ocean bed.
—Christopher Flavelle Tailyr Irvine, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2022
Additionally, the ocean shoreline from the U.S.-Mexico border to the south end of Seacoast Drive will remain closed until sampling confirms these areas are safe for water contact.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Oct. 2022
William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
The prototype will eventually be tested at hospitals and water treatment stations in the south of France.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 Jan. 2023
Some 400 companies have moved to the Transcarpathia region alone, including a watermelon farm from Kherson in the south, said Roman Moldavchuk, a regional spokesman.
—David L. Stern, Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2023
Events are happening all across town, from Scottsdale in the east to Chandler in the south to Glendale in the West Valley.
—Kimi Robinson, The Arizona Republic, 21 Jan. 2023
With the reclaiming last year of Kherson in the south, Ukrainian forward lines can now use them to hit the main supply routes coming out of Crimea, one American military official said in an interview.
—Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2023
In 2018, Bon Jovi and his son Jesse founded Hampton Water, a brand of rosé sourced from a vineyard in the south of France.
—Stephanie Kaloi, Peoplemag, 17 Jan. 2023
Bomb craters also scar the landscape in the region, which has become a focal point of the conflict after Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive in the south.
—Henry Austin, NBC News, 13 Jan. 2023
From the Everglades in the south to the panhandle in the north, Florida offers a variety of road trip options for travelers.
—James Barrett, Redbook, 11 Jan. 2023
See More
Adverb
The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said deputies were responding to a shooting at Highway 92 near Half Moon Bay, 30 miles south of San Francisco.
—Louis Casiano, Fox News, 24 Jan. 2023
Alhambra is about 2 miles south of Monterey Park and also has a sizable Asian and immigrant population.
—Erick Mendoza, NBC News, 23 Jan. 2023
Adham Kamal, who took over Hollywood Shawarma just over a year ago, grew up in As-Suwayda (sometimes also spelled Sweida) in southwestern Syria, about 70 miles south of Damascus and near the Jordanian border.
—Bill Addisonrestaurant Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2023
Concerns over another rural outbreak also lingered in the mind of Liu Han, a villager who had recently returned to Xiangtan, 700 miles south of Jinzhong.
—John Liu, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2023
Many travelers want to head south to catch a few rays – and maybe waves.
—Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2023
The bats head south for the winter to Mexico between late October and early November as the first cold fronts start to appear in Texas.
—Anna Mazurek, Chron, 2 Jan. 2023
For the walk, start at the grassy park at Pine Avenue and Carlsbad Boulevard, head south to Tamarack Avenue, then return, for a total round trip of about a mile.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2022
But head south for a different kind of experience in Pakse, where two rivers converge in the country's second biggest city.
—CNN, 21 Dec. 2022
Adjective
Another recent sighting was in Fond du Lac at the south end of Lake Winnebago around November/December of 2022, Brady said.
—Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2023
In 2020 in another big acquisition, Capital Commercial bought American Airlines’ former headquarters at the south end of DFW International Airport.
—Dallas News, 22 Dec. 2022
In particular, reaching the south end of West Valley City or Kearns becomes harder — as does getting to much of Holladay, Midvale or Sandy.
—Andy Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 Dec. 2022
Where to stay: On the south end of town, historic Camp Richardson offers rustic cabins and 27 lodge rooms plus snowshoeing on Lake Tahoe.
—Nina Kokotas Hahn, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Dec. 2022
West Hartford leaders approved a new Starbucks with a drive-through Wednesday night, but several residents complained that traffic in the south end of town is bad and getting worse.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 30 Nov. 2022
There have been some photos provided to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory that suggest that the south end of the caldera has overflowed, causing some lava flows a few kilometers (miles) out of the caldera, Hon said.
—Caleb Jones, Chicago Tribune, 28 Nov. 2022
At the south end of the half-finished dune, a thick pipe discharged a slurry of sand and water, pumped up from the ocean bed.
—Christopher Flavelle Tailyr Irvine, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2022
Additionally, the ocean shoreline from the U.S.-Mexico border to the south end of Seacoast Drive will remain closed until sampling confirms these areas are safe for water contact.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Oct. 2022
Noun
Obesity rates in the United States are also disproportionately influenced by ethnicity and geography, with Black Americans in the south experiencing some of the highest rates in the country.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
The prototype will eventually be tested at hospitals and water treatment stations in the south of France.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 Jan. 2023
Some 400 companies have moved to the Transcarpathia region alone, including a watermelon farm from Kherson in the south, said Roman Moldavchuk, a regional spokesman.
—David L. Stern, Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2023
Events are happening all across town, from Scottsdale in the east to Chandler in the south to Glendale in the West Valley.
—Kimi Robinson, The Arizona Republic, 21 Jan. 2023
With the reclaiming last year of Kherson in the south, Ukrainian forward lines can now use them to hit the main supply routes coming out of Crimea, one American military official said in an interview.
—Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2023
In 2018, Bon Jovi and his son Jesse founded Hampton Water, a brand of rosé sourced from a vineyard in the south of France.
—Stephanie Kaloi, Peoplemag, 17 Jan. 2023
Bomb craters also scar the landscape in the region, which has become a focal point of the conflict after Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive in the south.
—Henry Austin, NBC News, 13 Jan. 2023
From the Everglades in the south to the panhandle in the north, Florida offers a variety of road trip options for travelers.
—James Barrett, Redbook, 11 Jan. 2023
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'south.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Etymology
Adverb
Middle English, from Old English sūth; akin to Old High German sund- south and probably to Old English sunne sun
First Known Use
Adverb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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 south was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing south
Dictionary Entries Near south
Cite this Entry
“South.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/south. Accessed 27 Jan. 2023.
Kids Definition
south
1 of 3 adverb
: to or toward the south
Biographical Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on south
Nglish: Translation of south for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of south for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Which Came First?
"Leggings" or "mom jeans"? "Chillax" or "dumpster...
Take the quiz
-
Name That Thing MegaQuiz: Vol. 4
Test your visual vocabulary!
Take the quiz
-
True or False?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something a...
Take the quiz
-
Spelling Bee Quiz
Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...
Take the quiz
Share