northern

American  

[nawr-thern] / ˈnɔr ðərn /

adjective

1. lying toward or situated in the north.

2. directed or proceeding northward.

3. coming from the north, as a wind.

4. Often Northern of or relating to the North, especially the northern United States.

5. Astronomy. north of the celestial equator or of the zodiac.

   a northern constellation.

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noun

1. a person living in a northern region or country.

2. Northern, a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, eight driving wheels, and a four-wheeled rear truck.

northern British  

/ ˈnɔːðən /

adjective

1. situated in or towards the north

   northern towns

2. directed or proceeding towards the north

   a northern flow of traffic

3. (esp of winds) proceeding from the north

4. (sometimes capital) of, relating to, or characteristic of the north or North

5. (sometimes capital) astronomy north of the celestial equator

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Other Word Forms

• northernness
  noun
• pro-Northern
  adjective
• unnorthern
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of northern

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; see north, -ern

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

northern

The resulting disturbances produced spectacular auroras, commonly known as the northern lights, that appeared as far south as Hawaii and Central America.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026

"There are lots of famous northern comics," said the writer, whose own work was inspired by the likes of Victoria Wood, Alan Bennett and Morecambe and Wise.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

"France serves as a protest model for other movements witnessed in northern Italy, Brussels and Portugal," Maillard said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026

Israel’s northern frontiers are home to a large number of Arab Muslims, Christians and an insular Druze minority.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

The northern lights cast a ghostly green color over the white world ahead of them until dark clouds rolled in and it began to snow, making it hard to see.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

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