lying toward, situated in, or directed toward the south.
coming from the south, as a wind.
of or relating to the south.
Southern, of or relating to the South of the United States.
Astronomy. Southern, being or located south of the celestial equator or of the zodiac.
a southern constellation.
Often Southern southerner.
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.
situated in or towards the south
(of a wind, etc) coming from the south
native to, inhabiting, or growing in the south
(sometimes capital) astronomy south of the celestial equator
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English sūtherne; see south, -ern
Southern means from the south, like a southern breeze. But if you call a group of people “y’all,” you might be Southern, a word which refers to the American South and usually gets a capital “S” — and a side of hush puppies. A southern breeze happens when wind is moving from the south to the north, and the Southern Hemisphere is south of the equator. When southern refers to the direction, it’s not capitalized; when it's used in the name of specific place, however, it is capitalized. Southern comes from south, which derives from a Germanic word meaning "sun-side."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In particular, July saw 7% of the average levels of rainfall in England, with just 1% across southern England.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
The chip giant is in talks to provide guarantees covering the largest data center complex ever announced—a proposed 10-gigawatt project on federal land in southern Ohio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
As Lebanon's army deploys in the southern village of Zawtar al-Gharbiya, Hassan Sbeih is among those reassured by the troops and hoping the move will soon extend to areas still occupied by Israel.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
The “phased” nature of the reopening of southern ports to Mexican cattle is expected to significantly limit how many cattle actually flow into the U.S. in the near term, said Maloni at ArrowStream.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
He also didn’t say anything as they walked out of the castle and away from the city’s upper town and into the southern area.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
He is a well-known civil litigator and University of La Verne trustee who formerly worked for the Southern California Assn. of Governments, a planning organization that represents six counties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Clayton had been serving as US attorney for the Southern District of New York, overseeing several prominent cases including the drug trafficking case against former Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Between 2018 and 2022, a client in Southern California who owned commercial and residential real estate applied for several mortgages stating that they would live in the properties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
FBI agents executed warrants across Southern California on Tuesday and searched the homes or offices of a San Bernardino County supervisor, an Ontario City Council member, a lawyer and a media company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
The cold air masses created by this icecap clash with the warm winds from the ocean to churn up a storm belt that surrounds the continent, making the Southern Ocean the most treacherous sea anywhere.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
