south·ern
ˈsə-t͟hərn 
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
: 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
Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 13 Feb. 2026
The southern Jewish community is no exception.
—Lindsay Baach Friedmann, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Although the wood stork’s population was reported to be more than 150,000 in the Southeast at one time, the destruction of its habitat and the disruption of water flow through southern Florida led the numbers to plummet to just over 10,000 in 1990, according to the National Audubon Society.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Authorities spent nearly two weeks combing the southern Arizona landscape, sorting through doorbell footage, pondering what could have happened to the mother of three.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for southern
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Adjective
There are traffic calming measures on the southern portion of King Drive that have made traffic safer and the area more walkable, according to Ald.
—Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 13 Feb. 2026
The southern Jewish community is no exception.
—Lindsay Baach Friedmann, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Although the wood stork’s population was reported to be more than 150,000 in the Southeast at one time, the destruction of its habitat and the disruption of water flow through southern Florida led the numbers to plummet to just over 10,000 in 1990, according to the National Audubon Society.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Authorities spent nearly two weeks combing the southern Arizona landscape, sorting through doorbell footage, pondering what could have happened to the mother of three.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for southern
Cite this Entry
“Southern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southern. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
southern
adjective
south·ern
ˈsət͟h-ərn
1
capitalized
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the South
2
: lying toward or coming from the south
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