northern

1 of 2

adjective

north·​ern ˈnȯr-t͟hərn How to pronounce northern (audio)
ˈnȯr-t͟hən
1
capitalized
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated North
b
: of, relating to, or constituting the northern dialect
2
a
: lying toward the north
b
: coming from the north
a northern storm

northern

2 of 2

noun

1
capitalized : the dialect of English spoken in the part of the U.S. north of a line running northwest through central New Jersey, below the northern tier of counties in Pennsylvania, through northern Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, across central Iowa, and through the northwest corner of South Dakota
2
: pike entry 3 sense 1a

Examples of northern in a Sentence

Adjective the northern part of the state
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
Southwestern Atlantic: An area of low pressure is near the northern Bahamas, bringing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. —Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024 That compact essentially split what the signers thought was the normal flow of the river in half, and required the Upper Basin — Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — to leave the Lower Basin’s half to flow past the dividing line at Lees Ferry in northern Arizona. —Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
For northern pike, the DNR hopes to foster large sizes by disallowing anyone from keeping a northern that exceeds 30 inches. —Tony Kennedy, Star Tribune, 25 Mar. 2021 Most puffers have very tiny mouths, and northerns are no exception. —Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 23 Aug. 2023 See all Example Sentences for northern 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English northerne, from Old English; akin to Old High German nordrōni northern, Old English north north

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Noun

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Phrases Containing northern

Dictionary Entries Near northern

northermost

northern

northern anchovy

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Northern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/northern. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

northern

adjective
north·​ern
ˈnȯr-t͟hə(r)n
1
capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of the North
2
: lying toward or coming from the north
a northern storm
northernmost
-ˌmōst
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on northern

Nglish: Translation of northern for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of northern for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about northern

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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