southerly

adjective or adverb

south·er·ly | \ ˈsə-t͟hər-lē

How to pronounce southerly (audio)

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Definition of southerly

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : situated toward or belonging to the south the southerly shore of the lake

2 : coming from the south a southerly wind

southerly

plural southerlies

Definition of southerly (Entry 2 of 2)

: a wind from the south

Examples of southerly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective or adverb The exceptional flooding was caused by southerly winds that pushed a high tide, exacerbated by a full moon, into the city. — Washington Post, "Italy declares state of emergency in Venice after high tides," 14 Nov. 2019 The flooding this week was caused by southerly winds that pushed a high tide, exacerbated by a full moon, into the city built amid a system of canals that is particularly vulnerable to any sea-level rise. — Fox News, "Venice flooding has city 'on its knees,' Italy to declare state of emergency," 14 Nov. 2019 Indeed, the team’s new data indicate that during periods of hurricane inactivity at South Andros Island the belt is in a more southerly position. — Robin George Andrews, National Geographic, "The ghosts of ancient hurricanes live in Caribbean blue holes," 11 Nov. 2019 Welp, a subtle southerly shift wind overnight will keep Denver from breaking any monthly record lows. — Chris Bianchi, The Denver Post, "Denver weather: Record low clinched in Denver on Thursday morning," 31 Oct. 2019 Monarch butterflies are in the midst of their annual southerly journey through the Austin area toward warmer weather in Mexico. — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "Extra-Large Migration of Monarch Butterflies Fluttering Through Texas," 15 Oct. 2019 At the time, the skies were clear and the weather calm, with a southerly breeze of only 5 miles per hour, according to National Weather Service records. — Time, "Coast Guard Finds 4 Crew Members Trapped Inside Capsized Cargo Ship in Georgia," 9 Sep. 2019 This annual meteor shower is best for observers in the Southern Hemisphere, along with those in the more southerly regions of the Northern Hemisphere. — Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, "Look up! The Delta Aquarid meteor shower will light up the night sky Sunday night," 26 July 2019 Confidence: Medium-High Tomorrow night: Things start to change a bit as winds come from a more southerly direction. — Brian Jackson, Washington Post, "D.C.-area forecast: Still summery but more pleasant through tomorrow, then heating up again through the Fourth as storm chances return," 30 June 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun To the north are the Khasi Hills, standing athwart the path of moisture-laden southerly winds eager to continue north. — The Economist, "The South Asian monsoon, past, present and future," 27 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'southerly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near southerly

Southend-on-Sea

southerly buster

Statistics for southerly

Last Updated

25 Nov 2019

Cite this Entry

“Southerly.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southerly. Accessed 5 December 2019.

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More Definitions for southerly

southerly

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of southerly

: located in or moving toward the south

: blowing from the south

See the full definition for southerly in the English Language Learners Dictionary

southerly

adjective or adverb

south·er·ly | \ ˈsə-t͟hər-lē

\

Kids Definition of southerly

1 : from the south a southerly wind

2 : toward the south a southerly shore They sailed southerly.

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