southern

1 of 2

adjective

south·​ern ˈsə-t͟hərn 

1

Southern : 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 Southernness

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

Political leaders are calling for national Democratic support in Southern states to increase before the next presidential contest, and for 2028 hopefuls to prioritize black voter outreach. — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Nov. 2026

Crosses and flowers mark three of the lives lost after a fire Sunday morning at a southern Minnesota home. — Jason Rantala, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026

Many mountain lions are being killed in the northern part of California; however, the population impact is greater for lions in southern and the central coast of the state because the populations are smaller there. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026

There are a few showers toward Lake Okeechobee and other the southern parts of Central Florida, but rain isn’t expected anywhere else. — Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Nov. 2026

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