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• Southern Hemisphere
  Southern Hemisphere

  noun

  the half of the earth between the South Pole and the equator.
• southern hemisphere
  southern hemisphere

  noun

  that half of the earth lying south of the equator

Southern Hemisphere

American  

noun

1. the half of the earth between the South Pole and the equator.

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southern hemisphere British  

noun

1. that half of the earth lying south of the equator

2. astronomy that half of the celestial sphere lying south of the celestial equator

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Southern Hemisphere Scientific  

1. The half of the Earth south of the equator.

2. The half of the celestial sphere south of the celestial equator.

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Southern Hemisphere Cultural  

1. The southern half of the Earth's surface; the Earth's surface south of the equator.

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Etymology

Origin of Southern Hemisphere

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Farmers in the Southern Hemisphere are disproportionately affected, given they are currently planting crops and have limited access to the credit or government support needed to buy fertilizer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

Humpback whales in the Southern Hemisphere live in well-defined pods and usually follow the same migratory routes every year, travelling between feeding areas in cold water and breeding grounds in the tropics.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

As Salon previously reported, when the flu season cooled down in the Northern Hemisphere last summer, it intensified in the Southern Hemisphere.

From Salon • Jan. 8, 2026

Based on what happened in the Southern Hemisphere — particularly in Australia — “we are expecting this season to have a disproportionate impact on children under the age of 10,” Hudson said.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

At Miss Throckmorton’s I used to imagine people in the Southern Hemisphere walking round like this.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell