northerly

[ nawr-ther-lee ]

/ ˈnɔr ðər li /

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See synonyms for northerly on Thesaurus.com

adjective

moving, directed, or situated toward the north.

(especially of a wind) coming from the north: a northerly gale.

adverb

toward the north.

from the north.

noun, plural north·er·lies.

a wind that blows from the north.

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Origin of northerly

1545–55; north + -erly, modeled on easterly

OTHER WORDS FROM northerly

north·er·li·ness, noun

Words nearby northerly

Northeast Passage, northeastward, northeastwards, North Equatorial Current, norther, northerly, northern, Northern blot, Northern blot analysis, Northern Cameroons, northern canoe

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use northerly in a sentence

Then, some subset of travelers departed in a northerly direction while the others departed in a southerly direction.
Can You Catch The Grasshopper?|Zach Wissner-Gross|June 10, 2022|FiveThirtyEight
It’s because any water spilled into the northerly-flowing river’s 1,750-square-mile watershed eventually empties out through that small river mouth just south of the Imperial Beach pier.
Morning Report: Tijuana River Surging Again, This Time It’s Not Pure Poo|Voice of San Diego|March 3, 2022|Voice of San Diego
We have a northerly aspect, so our snow is preserved, and we have modern snowmaking.
The 10 Cheapest Ski Towns for Renters|eriley|February 25, 2022|Outside Online
Light to moderate northerly breezes near 10 mph would gust near 20 mph midday into the midafternoon hours.
D.C.-area forecast: Cool and sunny today with a slow warming trend starting this weekend|A. Camden Walker|November 5, 2021|Washington Post

The most northerly sites were in the Orkney Islands, north of Scotland.
Common parasite may help mussels survive heat waves|Sid Perkins|June 16, 2021|Science News For Students
Between this and the Channel we were delayed by a succession of northerly winds.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
The river then trends in a northerly direction for seven miles, without any sinuosity of consequence.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
Adiutrix for work elsewhere, it recalled both governor and legion, and gave up the more northerly of his nominal conquests.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
AS the wolf is a native of cold climates, he must have passed northerly into America, since he is met with in both continents.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume IX (of 10)|Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
Accomentas, a band, or division of the Pawtucket Indians inhabiting the northerly part of Massachusetts in 1674.
The Indian in his Wigwam|Henry R. Schoolcraft

British Dictionary definitions for northerly

northerly

/ (ˈnɔːðəlɪ) /

adjective

of, relating to, or situated in the north

adverb, adjective

towards or in the direction of the north

from the northa northerly wind

noun plural -lies

a wind from the north

Derived forms of northerly

northerliness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

northerly

Origin of northerly

OTHER WORDS FROM northerly

Words nearby northerly

Words related to northerly

How to use northerly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for northerly

Derived forms of northerly