Northerner

American

[nawr-ther-ner] / ˈnɔr ðər nər /

noun

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

Northerner British

/ ˈnɔːðənə /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of Northerner

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

Which all seemed, to a cranky Northerner like me, totally ridiculous.

From Washington Post • Oct. 30, 2018

He was a Northerner himself; maybe he would find some ship to take him on to Gont from Havnor, and he might see Ogion again.

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023