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

Etymology

Origin of northern

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

Example Sentences

There will be another bout of wet weather on Friday in Northern Ireland, Scotland, northern and western areas of England and Wales.

From BBC • Jun. 18, 2026

The summer solstice will be celebrated across the northern hemisphere this week, marking the official start of astronomical summer.

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026

Around 2,000 US Marines conduct exercises for six months of the year on the opposite coast of Australia in the northern city of Darwin.

From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026

Plus, some of her friends are in her former state of Minnesota, and Kemper has been living in northern Kentucky with her dad since 2019.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026

“If it was a trap, I think Hecate would’ve made the northern route sound tempting. Believe me, she didn’t.”

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan