southern

1 of 2

adjective

south·​ern ˈsə-t͟hərn 

1

capitalized : 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 capitalized

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

Residents of the southern New Mexico village of Ruidoso were ordered to flee their homes Monday without even taking time to grab any belongings due to a fast-moving wildfire. —CBS News, 18 June 2024

Based in the southern Chinese tech-hub of Shenzhen, Wanda Film is the largest cinema chain in China, operators of upwards of 900 cinemas with more than 7,500 screens, and a sizable movie production business too. —Mathew Scott, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 June 2024

Here’s what to know Fighting has continued in Rafah and southern Gaza a day after Israeli forces announced a daily 11-hour pause of operations along an aid corridor in the region, U.N. Relief and Works Agency Commissioner Philippe Lazzarini told Reuters on Monday. —Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 17 June 2024

More than 1 million Palestinians, many of whom had already been displaced, fled Rafah after the invasion, crowding into other parts of southern and central Gaza. —Josef Federman, arkansasonline.com, 17 June 2024

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