southerly

American  

[suhth-er-lee] / ˈsʌð ər li /

adjective

1. toward the south.

   a southerly course.

2. (especially of a wind) coming from the south.

   a gentle southerly breeze.

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noun

plural

southerlies

1. a wind that blows from the south.

southerly British  

/ ˈsʌðəlɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or situated in the south

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adverb

1. towards or in the direction of the south

2. from the south

   a southerly wind

noun

1. a wind from the south

Other Word Forms

• southerliness noun

Etymology

Origin of southerly

1545–55; south + -erly ( easterly )

Example Sentences

Less grey and misty weather on Thursday morning and more sunshine will allow temperatures in England and Wales to rise rapidly with the warmth drawn up from Europe on a southerly breeze.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

In Canada's Western Hudson Bay, where the most southerly and best studied bears live, a decline in the population has been directly linked to warming temperatures.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

The winter solstice is the moment the Sun appears to stand still, directly above the Tropic of Capricorn, the most southerly latitude it reaches annually.

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2025

She added: "This southerly shift has already led to increases in continental droughts and wildfires across the southern landmasses."

From Science Daily • Nov. 19, 2025

“You’re only about a half mile out. If the wind was blowing southerly you could smell the smoke.”

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss