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• southern
  southern

  adjective

  lying toward, situated in, or directed toward the south.
• Southern
  Southern

  noun

  Terry, 1924–95, U.S. novelist and screenwriter.

southern

¹ American  

[suhth-ern] / ˈsʌð ərn /

adjective

1. lying toward, situated in, or directed toward the south.

2. coming from the south, as a wind.

3. of or relating to the south.

4. Southern, of or relating to the South of the United States.

5. Astronomy. Southern, being or located south of the celestial equator or of the zodiac.

   a southern constellation.

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noun

1. Often Southern southerner.

2. Southern, the dialect of English spoken in the eastern parts of Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas, in Florida, in the southern parts of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and in southeastern Texas.

Southern ² American  

[suhth-ern] / ˈsʌð ərn /

noun

1. Terry, 1924–95, U.S. novelist and screenwriter.

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southern ¹ British  

/ ˈsʌðən /

adjective

1. situated in or towards the south

2. (of a wind, etc) coming from the south

3. native to, inhabiting, or growing in the south

4. (sometimes capital) astronomy south of the celestial equator

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Southern ² British  

/ ˈsʌðən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the south of a particular region or country

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Etymology

Origin of southern

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

Explanation

Southern means from the south, like a southern breeze. But if you call a group of people “y’all,” you might be Southern, a word which refers to the American South and usually gets a capital “S” — and a side of hush puppies. A southern breeze happens when wind is moving from the south to the north, and the Southern Hemisphere is south of the equator. When southern refers to the direction, it’s not capitalized; when it's used in the name of specific place, however, it is capitalized. Southern comes from south, which derives from a Germanic word meaning "sun-side."

Example Sentences

South Korea's president was among those who criticised the campaign, saying it "insults the victims and the bloody struggle" of the residents of the southern city of Gwangju.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

Successful local counterattacks are boosting morale, said the commander of a drone unit in Ukraine’s Presidential Brigade fighting on the southern front.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

The Islamic center describes itself on its website as the largest mosque in San Diego county, which lies in southern California.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

The fire covered some 184 acres Monday morning and triggered evacuation orders for a wide swath of homes in southern Simi Valley, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Following the initial success of the Reformation movement, the Catholic Church was fighting back, notably through the activities of the Jesuits in Austria and the southern German states.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin