southern

¹ American  

[suhth-ern] / ˈsʌð ərn /

adjective

1. lying toward, situated in, or directed toward the south.

2. coming from the south, as a wind.

3. of or relating to the south.

4. Southern, of or relating to the South of the United States.

5. Astronomy. Southern, being or located south of the celestial equator or of the zodiac.

   a southern constellation.

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noun

1. Often Southern southerner.

2. Southern, the dialect of English spoken in the eastern parts of Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas, in Florida, in the southern parts of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and in southeastern Texas.

Southern ² American  

[suhth-ern] / ˈsʌð ərn /

noun

1. Terry, 1924–95, U.S. novelist and screenwriter.

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southern ¹ British  

/ ˈsʌðən /

adjective

1. situated in or towards the south

2. (of a wind, etc) coming from the south

3. native to, inhabiting, or growing in the south

4. (sometimes capital) astronomy south of the celestial equator

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Southern ² British  

/ ˈsʌðən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the south of a particular region or country

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Etymology

Origin of southern

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English sūtherne; south, -ern

Example Sentences

Only one mine is operational in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, and until recently most of its output was exported to Japan under a bilateral deal.

From BBC

A total of 41,472 migrants landed on England's southern coast in 2025 after making the perilous Channel crossing from northern France.

From Barron's

Like southern European neighbour Portugal, and Greece, Spain has rebounded from harsh austerity measures and heavy debt in the early 2010s, with a tourism rebound following the Covid-19 pandemic playing an important role.

From Barron's

When hostilities began, operators were forced to divert their cargo ships to longer routes around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, creating a shortage of vessels while inflating freight rates.

From The Wall Street Journal

The group -- the Movement for Peace, Reconciliation and Development -- was launched in southern Chad in 2003.

From Barron's