southern

1 of 2

adjective

south·​ern ˈsə-t͟hərn How to pronounce southern (audio)
1
Southern : 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 Southernness

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
In May, reports revealed plans for an ICE facility on unincorporated land in southern Santa Clara County. Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 31 May 2026 In state elections this month an alliance led by above-ground communist parties was voted out in the southern state of Kerala, the first time in decades that Marxist political parties are not in power in any of India’s states or territories. Dhruv Tikekar, CNN Money, 30 May 2026 The war with Hezbollah and ongoing Gaza strikes have killed thousands, including a Syrian refugee family in southern Lebanon and a Palestinian nurse in Deir al Balah, despite ceasefire deals. Ahmad Mantash, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026 Blame it on my Southern California roots, but Disneyland has a chokehold on me. Ruby McAuliffe, InStyle, 30 May 2026 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 31 May. 2026.

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

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