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Southern Hemisphere

American  

noun

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


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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.


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


Etymology

Origin of Southern Hemisphere

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

A Rand report, Hezbollah’s Networks in Latin America, found that the militant group had a considerable network that was active in the Southern Hemisphere.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 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

“The arrival of ample wheat production in the Southern Hemisphere worries U.S. wheat in particular, which lacks competitiveness on the international scene,” says Argus in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025

By August 1, 1914, Endurance and her crew were ready to leave for the Southern Hemisphere.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

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