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
: 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
Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 27 Nov. 2025
The unique rituals across the country include the Yule Fest, which is celebrated for two days following Thanksgiving in southern Iowa, and a tradition at the Santa Barbara Zoo in California, where leftover Halloween pumpkins are given to the animals.
—NPR, 27 Nov. 2025
Opponents fear Maye, teammates love him and coaches can’t stop showering the southern gunslinger with praise.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 27 Nov. 2025
Despite inclement weather on May 13, 1948, their plane pushed on — and crashed in Saint-Bauzile, Ardèche, in southern France.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for southern
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Adjective
Meanwhile in the Middle East, Hamas militants in Gaza used drones to knock out Israeli observation posts prior to their deadly October 7, 2023, raid into southern Israel, an action that precipitated a war that has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 27 Nov. 2025
The unique rituals across the country include the Yule Fest, which is celebrated for two days following Thanksgiving in southern Iowa, and a tradition at the Santa Barbara Zoo in California, where leftover Halloween pumpkins are given to the animals.
—NPR, 27 Nov. 2025
Opponents fear Maye, teammates love him and coaches can’t stop showering the southern gunslinger with praise.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 27 Nov. 2025
Despite inclement weather on May 13, 1948, their plane pushed on — and crashed in Saint-Bauzile, Ardèche, in southern France.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for southern
Cite this Entry
“Southern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southern. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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