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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  

[sauth, sauth, sauth] / 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-

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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

It can weaken in the second half of winter, typically between January and March, sending bitterly cold air spilling south into Europe, North America and Asia.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

Spanning from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and north from the Gulf of Mexico, it encompassed far more than New Orleans and south Louisiana.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Born to a British-Jamaican family in Croydon, south London, she has staged shows in offbeat venues such as alleys or climbing gyms, which could appeal to the younger clients Balenciaga hopes to attract.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

The district he represented was massive: from below San Francisco to the Nevada border, and 500 miles south to the Mexican border.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

There was no instinct compelling him or any puffin to fly south.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

After taking over from Jones, Borthwick very nearly led England to the Rugby World Cup final less than a year later, losing to South Africa by a single point in their semi-final.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

Nor did he name another of his picks, Darline Graham of South Carolina, who lost by 4 points.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Born in Los Angeles and raised in South Gate and Bell, B-Real — whose real name is Louis Mario Freese — says he was always surrounded by people he knew and members of his family.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

"Technology shares have been affected by external risks and have fallen in tandem with their counterparts in the US, Japan and South Korea," he told AFP.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

"South was bad hunting last year," she said, handing Bartok some smoked salmon strips to eat while he was out on the ice.

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

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