southern

1 of 2

adjective

south·​ern ˈsə-t͟hərn How to pronounce southern (audio)
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 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
More than a month’s worth of snow for Denver Around the same time the wildfire risk is peaking Wednesday afternoon in portions of the southern US, rain and a few thunderstorms will change over to snow in the Rockies and won’t stop until Friday. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 After the Hamas attack in southern Israel killed around 1,200 people, hundreds of thousands of Israeli reservists were called up for duty. Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Space Port Kii is the nation’s first launch complex for commercial missions, offering companies an alternative to the site that JAXA uses in southern Japan. TIME, 13 Mar. 2024 In southern Lebanon, an Israeli strike Wednesday killed a Hamas militant on the outskirts of Tyre. Pro-Palestinian protesters calling for a cease-fire in Gaza blocked security gates and car traffic Wednesday at San Francisco International Airport, according to reports in local media. Andrew jeong, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 Across the world, in southern Tasmania, cold water enthusiasts can book their own private island. Katie Lockhart, Vogue, 12 Mar. 2024 The cross-border exchanges have led to evacuations on both sides: About 80,000 Israelis were evacuated from the north in the first weeks of the war, and about 90,000 people have fled southern Lebanon. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 In Brownsville Texas, Biden met with U.S. Border Patrol agents, law enforcement, front-line and local leaders to highlight the need for more agents and resources at the southern border. Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 2 Mar. 2024 The southern route into the park, along the winding two-lane Badwater Road, cuts through rugged, dramatic topography, shaped by eons of erosion. Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
Sign up for our Park Life newsletter and find out what’s new and interesting every week at Southern California’s theme parks. Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register, 8 Mar. 2024 The organization has hosted college tours, starting with Southern California institutions, since 2013, according to founder Berry Accius. Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024 The company also plans to expand in Southern California and enter the Las Vegas market for the first time and anticipates a bigger presence in the Southeast, Northeast and Midwest. The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 Norfolk Southern alone will be responsible for paying for the cleanup after last year's fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio, a federal judge ruled. Josh Funk, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024 Norfolk Southern alone will be responsible for paying for the cleanup after last year’s fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio, a federal judge ruled. Josh Funk, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024 Click here] Follow Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners. Rex Nelson, arkansasonline.com, 8 Mar. 2024 Ten girls wrestlers from Orange County won championships at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet that was held Saturday at Palm Springs High School. Steve Fryer, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 Both the Falcons and Titans, along with the semifinalists in the Open Division, Westview and Mission Hills, will advance to Southern California regionals. Breven Honda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'southern.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of southern was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near southern

Cite this Entry

“Southern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southern. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

southern

adjective
south·​ern ˈsət͟h-ərn How to pronounce southern (audio)
1
capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of the South
2
: lying toward or coming from the south
southernmost adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on southern

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!