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
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Adjective
The administration has poured in resources to stop the spiraling immigration situation at the southern border. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025 The war started after Hamas killed 1,200 people during its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, mostly civilians, and took 250 people captive, many of whom were eventually freed in ceasefire deals. Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025 Sailing enthusiasts should plan a visit around the Bequia Easter Regatta, considered the southern Caribbean's premiere sailing event. Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2025 The Morag Corridor refers to the dismantled Jewish settlement of Morag in southern Gaza that once existed between Khan Younis and Rafah. Tim Lister and Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 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

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Southern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southern. Accessed 19 Apr. 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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