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

Located between Iran’s southern coast and a peninsula shared by Oman and the Emirates, the strait is a tiny section of sea connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026

Israel, meanwhile, appears content to keep battering the Islamic Republic, whatever the downstream consequences, while also mustering a new offensive into southern Lebanon against Hezbollah. —Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026

The operation, on March 7 and 8 at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, comes after two uses of anti-drone laser systems on the southern border prompted calls for Congressional investigations. —Aaron Cooper, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026

China, top Iran oil buyer, opposes war Smoke rises from Israeli bombardment on the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on March 4, 2026. —Kevin Breuninger,sam Meredith,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 6 Mar. 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