southern

1 of 2

adjective

south·​ern ˈsə-t͟hərn 

1

capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated South

2

a

: lying toward the south

b

: coming from the south

a southern wind

southernness

ˈsə-t͟hərn-nəs 

noun often capitalized

Southern

2 of 2

noun

: the dialect of English spoken in most of the Chesapeake Bay area, the coastal plain and the greater part of the upland plateau in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, and the Gulf states at least as far west as the valley of the Brazos in Texas and sometimes taken to include the south Midland area

Examples of southern in a Sentence

Adjective

the southern part of the state

the southern shore of the lake

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

And southern locales like Croatia and Malta have seen an increase in overseas tourists, with numbers up 7.6 percent and 37 percent, respectively, compared with 2019. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 12 July 2024

Oppressive heat has blanketed much of the western U.S. and large swaths of the South, Southeast, mid-Atlantic and southern New England. —Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 11 July 2024

In a river of southern China, a 2-foot-long predator noticed some caged fish. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 11 July 2024

Native to central and southwestern United states and northern Mexico, blanket flower has naturalized eastward throughout the southern states and along the Atlantic coast. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English southern, southren, from Old English sūtherne; akin to Old High German sundrōni southern, Old English sūth south

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Noun

1935, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing southern

• southern corn rootworm
• southern fur seal
• southern hemisphere
• southern lights
• southern maidenhair fern
• southern minke whale

Kids Definition

southern

adjective

south·​ern ˈsət͟h-ərn 

1

capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of the South

2

: lying toward or coming from the south

southernmost

-ˌmōst 

adjective