southern

1 of 2

adjective

south·​ern ˈsə-t͟hərn How to pronounce southern (audio)
1
capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated South
2
a
: lying toward the south
b
: coming from the south
a southern wind
southernness noun often capitalized

Southern

2 of 2

noun

: the dialect of English spoken in most of the Chesapeake Bay area, the coastal plain and the greater part of the upland plateau in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, and the Gulf states at least as far west as the valley of the Brazos in Texas and sometimes taken to include the south Midland area

Examples of southern in a Sentence

Adjective the southern part of the state the southern shore of the lake
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
These include establishing a border wall and bringing back his Remain in Mexico policy (formally known as the Migrant Protection Protocols), which requires asylum seekers at the southern border to wait out their cases outside of the U.S. Miranda Jeyaretnam, TIME, 21 Jan. 2025 Trump also used his signature to declare a national emergency at the southern border and designate gangs and cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Jackson Walker, Baltimore Sun, 21 Jan. 2025 These measures include the termination of the CBP One app, which allowed asylum seekers to schedule appointments at U.S. border ports, and the deployment of military forces at the southern border. Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 21 Jan. 2025 National emergency proclamation and increasing military presence at the border Trump signed a proclamation Monday evening declaring a national emergency at the southern border of the United States, a move that will mobilize additional resources to the region. Brett Samuels, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for southern 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English southern, southren, from Old English sūtherne; akin to Old High German sundrōni southern, Old English sūth south

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of southern was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near southern

Cite this Entry

“Southern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southern. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

southern

adjective
south·​ern ˈsət͟h-ərn How to pronounce southern (audio)
1
capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of the South
2
: lying toward or coming from the south
southernmost adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on southern

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