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

Next, Texas fought Mexico for its independence, and for a decade beginning in 1836 the Republic of Texas flew its own Lone Star flag in the Paso del Norte, claiming El Paso and part of southern New Mexico. — Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 28 June 2026

Meanwhile in Lebanon, airstrikes hit the southern town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, a day after Israel signed an agreement to withdraw troops from some areas. — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 28 June 2026

Red flag warnings, which mean conditions such as low humidity, warm temperatures and strong winds can create an extreme wildfire risk, were in effect Friday and stretched from Idaho to southern Arizona and New Mexico. — CBS News, 27 June 2026

With extreme fire conditions persisting, Rocky Mountain Power has issued a public safety power shutoff watch and warning for areas of central, southern and eastern Utah through the weekend. — Ty Oneil, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 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