Northerner

American  

[nawr-ther-ner] / ˈnɔr ðər nər /

noun

1. (sometimes lowercase) a native or inhabitant of the North, especially the northern U.S.

2. (lowercase) norther.

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Northerner British  

/ ˈnɔːðənə /

noun

1. (sometimes not capital) a native or inhabitant of the north of any specified region, esp England or the US

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Etymology

Origin of Northerner

First recorded in 1825–35; northern + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, in the South, most Confederates would be more familiar with “Dixie,” which Emmett, a Northerner, also claimed to have written.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

Franklin Pierce, although a Northerner, fiercely defended slavery while signing the Kansas-Nebraska Act and enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act; he was a drunkard to boot.

From Salon • Jul. 26, 2025

A Northerner serves 13 years in the military, while South Korean conscripts serve just 18 months.

From Washington Times • Mar. 10, 2023

Though she is thought of as a deeply Southern writer, Miss Welty points out that her mother was Virginian but her father was a Northerner, of German-Swiss ancestry.

From New York Times • Oct. 21, 2021

Hamlin was a Northerner, and Lincoln needed a Southern presence on the ticket.

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly