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

District 1 — which runs from south San Jose to the southern extremes of the county, covering Gilroy, Morgan Hill and large swaths of unincorporated and agricultural land, including San Martin — is the county’s largest and most rural. —Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 9 May 2026

Wilson is zoned for the 9th District, which extends across most of the state’s southern border before curving up to encompass the largely white and affluent Nashville suburbs. —ABC News, 9 May 2026

Missouri Big Cedar Lodge, Ridgedale Upscale Big Cedar Lodge on the southern tip of Table Rock Lake features hotel rooms in three main lodges (with rooms overlooking the lake, of course). —Jess Hoffert, Midwest Living, 9 May 2026

The death toll from an Israeli airstrike on the village of Saksakiyeh in southern Lebanon has risen to seven, with 15 others injured, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. —Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 9 May 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