southerly

1 of 2

adjective or adverb

south·​er·​ly ˈsə-t͟hər-lē 

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

Only from the more southerly states is the planet likely to be visible to the naked eye. —Joe Rao, Space.com, 1 Apr. 2026

The record high on Thursday is 91°, and the First Alert Weather Team is forecasting 91° and an abundance of southerly winds. —Michael Autovino, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026

Noun

Meanwhile, the difference is less at more southerly locations (at Miami, Florida, located at latitude 26ºN, the average difference is just under 55 minutes). —Joe Rao, Space.com, 31 Mar. 2026

This was a southerly trajectory launch. —Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026

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

Rhymes for southerly

• brotherly
• motherly

Kids Definition

southerly

adverb or adjective

south·​er·​ly

ˈsət͟h-ər-lē

1

: toward the south

2

: coming from the south