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• south
  south

  noun

  a cardinal point of the compass lying directly opposite north. S
• South
  South

  noun

  the southern part of England, generally regarded as lying to the south of an imaginary line between the Wash and the Severn

south

American  

[south, south, south] / saʊθ, saʊθ, saʊð /

noun

1. a cardinal point of the compass lying directly opposite north. S

2. the direction in which this point lies.

3. (usually initial capital letter) a region or territory situated in this direction.

4. the South, the general area south of Pennsylvania and the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi, consisting mainly of those states that formed the Confederacy.

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adjective

1. lying toward or situated in the south; directed or proceeding toward the south.

2. coming from the south, as a wind.

adverb

1. to, toward, or in the south.

2. Informal. into a state of serious decline, loss, or the like.

   Sales went south during the recession.

verb (used without object)

1. to turn or move in a southerly direction.

2. Astronomy. to cross the meridian.

South ¹ British  

/ saʊθ /

noun

1. the southern part of England, generally regarded as lying to the south of an imaginary line between the Wash and the Severn

2. 1. the area approximately south of Pennsylvania and the Ohio River, esp those states south of the Mason-Dixon line that formed the Confederacy during the Civil War

   2. the Confederacy itself

3. the countries of the world that are not economically and technically advanced

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adjective

1. 1. of or denoting the southern part of a specified country, area, etc

   2. ( capital as part of a name )

      the South Pacific

south ² British  

/ saʊθ /

noun

1. one of the four cardinal points of the compass, at 180° from north and 90° clockwise from east and anticlockwise from west

2. the direction along a meridian towards the South Pole

3. (often capital) any area lying in or towards the south

4. (usually capital) cards the player or position at the table corresponding to south on the compass

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adjective

1. situated in, moving towards, or facing the south

2. (esp of the wind) from the south

adverb

1. in, to, or towards the south

2. archaic (of the wind) from the south

south Idioms  

1. see go south.

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Etymology

Origin of south

before 900; Middle English suth ( e ), south ( e ) (adv., adj., and noun), Old English sūth (adv. and adj.); cognate with Old High German sund-

Explanation

If you're holding a compass, south is the direction that's directly opposite north. If you're standing in Tennessee, then Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia will be to the south. When you need to head south on a hiking trail, you can consult your compass and turn in the direction that's 180 degrees from north. And if you visit the South of France, you'll be staying in the southern part of the country geographically—luckily for you, it's also the warmest, sunniest part of France. The word south has a Germanic root meaning "sun-side."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

south South

Sure enough, Heyward and Freeman both headed south that day — still driving separately because of their differing morning routines.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

The storms, which will drift out of France and move northwards, will be sparked as warm and humid air sets in from the south.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

That approach is not possible for crewed missions, which means microbial contamination becomes a much more complicated issue when astronauts explore the Moon's south polar region.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

There are now two distinct routes: one to the north, near the Iranian coast -- the only one approved by Tehran -- and another to the south, between the Omani coast and potentially mined areas.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

Maybe the odd party of Willow Clan from the west by the Sea, or Viper Clan up from the south, but they never stayed long.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

The pain fell hardest on South Korea’s individual investors, known as “ants”—weak individually but capable of collective power.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Interpol said many aspects of Jackal IV remained under investigation but preliminary outcomes included arrests in Argentina, Italy, Romania and South Africa.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Meanwhile, in markets where the cost to buy is lower or closer to the cost to rent, generally in the Midwest and South, buyers break even much faster.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

The sharpest test comes in deeply Republican South Carolina, where Trump-backed Senator Darline Graham faces congressman Ralph Norman in a runoff for the seat held for 23 years by her late brother Lindsey Graham.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

As they went under the South Fork bridge, the current began to slow.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

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