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

However, for those in the northern hemisphere, it is generally recognised as the midsummer date with the longest amount of daylight and the shortest period of darkness.

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

Eastport is small and remote, like much of northern Maine.

From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026

Until the very last day, Aziz stared in the direction of the northern fields and wished for the khan’s return.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri