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

Born in a small town in southern China, Yang is among a new crop of young bicultural producers and directors facilitating the transfer of Chinese duanju to the rest of the world. —Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026

This creates more favorable conditions for flies to spread in Texas, home to the nation's largest cattle industry, as well as other parts of the southern United States. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026

Southern food, but the James-Beard-award-winning kind. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026

Its Southern-style porch overlooks the ocean as well as the property’s butterfly garden, giving the space an extra boost of romance. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 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