southern hemisphere

noun

variants or Southern Hemisphere
: the part of the earth that lies south of the equator

Examples of southern hemisphere in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Also called the March equinox, the spring equinox occurs when the northern and southern hemispheres neither tilt toward or away from the sun, the Old Farmer’s Almanac, a weather and gardening guide that’s been publishing since 1782, said on its website. Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 Spring Equinox March 19 around 11 p.m. ET marks the start of spring in the northern hemisphere; the equinox also welcomes the coming of autumn in the southern hemisphere (here’s one of our favorite fall getaways down under). Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2024 Since Cape Town is in the southern hemisphere, summertime in the U.S. is wintertime for South Africans. Ramsey Qubein, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The Northern Lights are an astronomical phenomenon that are usually seen along the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. Solcyre Burga, Time, 9 July 2023 In the southern hemisphere, Chile has been reeling from drought for the better part of a decade. Somini Sengupta, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2024 This shower is visible in the southern hemisphere, and generates a relatively low rate of meteors per hour: around six during the peak on Feb. 8, according to High Point Scientific. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2024 On the spring equinox, the northern and southern hemispheres receive about the same amount of sunlight; after the equinox, the northern hemisphere transitions to spring and summer while the southern hemisphere goes into fall and winter. Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 23 Jan. 2024 Those enjoying the southern hemisphere summer will also welcome their longest day of the year. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of southern hemisphere was in 1652

Dictionary Entries Near southern hemisphere

Cite this Entry

“Southern hemisphere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southern%20hemisphere. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

southern hemisphere

noun
often capitalized S&H
: the half of the earth that lies south of the equator
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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