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
People in southern parts of Kenton and Campbell counties are advised to take cover now as radar has indicated a tornado is in the area, according to an alert from the National Weather Service. David Ferrara, The Enquirer, 21 July 2025 Four tornados were confirmed during July 16 thunderstorms across southern Wisconsin. Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 20 July 2025 Located in southern Colorado’s San Luis Valley, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve is home to North America’s tallest sand dunes. Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2025 Thunderstorms could bring hail downpours from southern Nebraska to Canada, with wind gusts possibly reaching 85 miles per hour. Bouts of severe weather coupled with unrelenting heat threaten to provide Americans with a tumultuous and possibly deadly weather week, forecasters say. John Bacon, USA Today, 20 July 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

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Southern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southern. Accessed 24 Jul. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!