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
The Heisman electorate, like the power in college football, leans southern and eastern. Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024 As Israel occupied southern Lebanon up to the coastal city of Saida, local Palestinian militias untethered to traditional command-and-control structures emerged. Sarah E. Parkinson, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2024 Or insisted there was no migration crisis at the southern border. Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024 Rafael is expected to move across the southern Gulf over the next few days. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near southern

Cite this Entry

“Southern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southern. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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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