lying toward, situated in, or directed toward the south.
2.
coming from the south, as a wind.
3.
of or pertaining to the south.
4.
(initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the South of the United States.
5.
Astronomy. being or located south of the celestial equator or of the zodiac:
a southern constellation.
noun
6.
(often initial capital letter) southerner (def 2).
7.
(initial capital letter) the dialect of English spoken in the eastern parts of Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas, in Florida, in the southern parts of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and in southeastern Texas.
Origin
before 900;Middle English;Old Englishsūtherne. See south, -ern
Southern
[suhth-ern] /ˈsʌð ərn/
noun
1.
Terry, 1924–95, U.S. novelist and screenwriter.
Related forms
pro-Southern, adjective
Examples from the web for southern
The southern growth rate has recently been only half that of the north.
The southern plains was the last chance for them to own something.
The words southern pacific were borne in a large serif font in white.
The southern lights, an aurora that appears in the southern hemisphere.
The southern continents remained tied together in the supercontinent of gondwana.
The southern volcanic part of the island is rugged and mountainous, and largely barren.
A shipping route, and the southern shore is a popular summer resort area.
In the southern part and on the coast there is evergreen vegetation.
The ridge of the southern carpathian mountains forms its southern border.
The southern end is also shallow and often freezes during the winter.
British Dictionary definitions for southern
southern
/ˈsʌðən/
adjective
1.
situated in or towards the south
2.
(of a wind, etc) coming from the south
3.
native to, inhabiting, or growing in the south
4.
(sometimes capital) (astronomy) south of the celestial equator
Southern
/ˈsʌðən/
adjective
1.
of, relating to, or characteristic of the south of a particular region or country
Word Origin and History for southern
Old English suðerne, from suð "south" (see south) + -erne, suffix denoting direction. A common Germanic compound, cf. Old Frisian suthern, Old Norse suðroenn, Old High German sundroni.