north

1 of 3

adverb

ˈnȯrth 

: to, toward, or in the north

see also:

north of

north

2 of 3

adjective

1

: situated toward or at the north

the north entrance

2

: coming from the north

a north wind

north

3 of 3

noun

1

a

: the direction of the north terrestrial pole : the direction to the left of one facing east

b

: the compass point directly opposite to south

2

North

a

: regions or countries lying to the north of a specified or implied point of orientation

b

: the industrially and economically developed nations of the world compare south sense 5

3

often North

a

: the one of four positions at 90-degree intervals that lies to the north or at the top of a diagram

b

: a person occupying this position in the course of a specified activity (such as the game of bridge)

Examples of north in a Sentence

Adverb

Turn north onto Elm Street.

It's a few miles north of here.

The bird is found as far north as Canada.

Noun

The wind is coming from the north.

The birds migrate from the North.

Parts of the North were hit hard by the storm.

I grew up in the North.

The American Civil War was between the North and the South.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

They’re concentrated in the Southeast, but lone star ticks have been making their way north and creeping in from the coasts. — Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 14 July 2026

The Madison River originates inside Yellowstone National Park and flows 183 miles north through southwest Montana, flanked by the Madison Range, the Gravelly Mountains, and the Tobacco Root Mountains. — Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026

Adjective

But the storm resulted in more than 2 million TEUs of vessel capacity waiting at berth in north Asian waters outside the two ports, according to a report from container shipping market research firm Linerlytica. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 15 July 2026

In fact, while Grozeva and Valchanov are profoundly grounded in their north Balkan homeland, there’s a lot of sensibility overlap here with the absurdism of the Greek Weird Wave of 2010s. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026

Noun

The agency issued an air quality alert through July 17 for east-central, central, west-central, southeast, north-central, northwest and northeast Minnesota. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 17 July 2026

On June 24, two earthquakes struck north-central Venezuela less than a minute apart. — Cristina Guevara, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German nord north and perhaps to Greek nerteros lower, infernal

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing north

• east by north
• magnetic north
• north by east
• north by west
• northeast by north
• north-northeast
• north-northwest
• north of
• north pole
• north-seeking pole
• northwest by north
• the north
• true north
• up north
• west by north

Rhymes for north

• fourth
• henceforth
• thenceforth

Kids Definition

north

1 of 3 adverb

ˈnȯ(ə)rth 

: to or toward the north

north

2 of 3 adjective

1

: placed or lying toward or at the north

the north entrance

2

: coming from the north

a north wind

north

3 of 3 noun

1

a

: the direction to the left of one facing east

b

: the compass point opposite to south

2

capitalized : regions or countries north of a point that is mentioned or understood

Biographical Definition

North 1 of 3

biographical name (1)

ˈnȯrth 

Douglass Cecil 1920–2015 American economist

North

2 of 3

biographical name (2)

Frederick 1732–1792 Lord North English statesman; prime minister (1770–82)

North

3 of 3

biographical name (3)

Sir Thomas 1535–?1603 English translator