southerly

1 of 2

adjective or adverb

south·​er·​ly ˈsə-t͟hər-lē How to pronounce southerly (audio)
1
: situated toward or belonging to the south
the southerly shore of the lake
2
: coming from the south
a southerly wind

southerly

2 of 2

noun

plural southerlies
: a wind from the south

Examples of southerly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective or adverb
Gusty southerly winds will develop this afternoon and evening, with the strongest gusts expected from I-80 southward. Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 29 Mar. 2024 By midday Sunday, a high atmospheric disturbance in southeast Colorado nudged a new cold front into our region packing stronger-than-normal southerly winds. David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2024 Confidence: Medium-High Tomorrow night: Mostly clear skies and light southerly breezes keep us fairly mild. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 If the colder and snowier southerly trend continues, the snow scenarios may go up throughout Monday to reflect the change in storm track and intensity. Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 13 Feb. 2024 The teal that make it to Florida typically continue on to the Bahamas, Cuba and other southerly destinations. Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 The track of the storms, however, could take a more southerly track, resulting in most areas remaining dry or only briefly wet, the weather service said in its forecast discussion. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2024 By midday Sunday, a high atmospheric disturbance in southeast Colorado will nudge a new cold front into our region as stronger-than-normal southerly winds blow our way. David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024 Strong southerly wind gusts up to 50 mph are expected. Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
If southerly breezes kick up a bit during the early morning hours, warmest spots may hover in the upper 40s. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2022 A couple of afternoon southerly breezes could gust around 15 mph. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2022 Evening southerly breezes, which may gust a couple of times near 20 mph, should calm fairly quickly as the night progresses. Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2022 Very light southerly breezes are helping to bring in milder, moister air. Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2022 Light southerly winds coupled with overcast skies have kept overnight temperatures in the upper 30s to lower 40s through the metro area. oregonlive, 2 Feb. 2022 Light southerly breezes will increase a tad during the afternoon, as a few clouds show up nearer sunset. Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2022 Strong southerly winds could pound the beaches early in the day with gusts in the 50-60 mph range. oregonlive, 9 Dec. 2021 Light southerly breezes could occasionally gust near 15 mph. Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'southerly.' 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

Adjective or adverb

south entry 3 + -erly (as in easterly)

First Known Use

Adjective Or Adverb

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1837, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of southerly was in 1550

Dictionary Entries Near southerly

Cite this Entry

“Southerly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southerly. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

southerly

adverb or adjective
south·​er·​ly
ˈsət͟h-ər-lē
1
: toward the south
2
: coming from the south

More from Merriam-Webster on southerly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!