southern
southernly
Southern means from the south, like a southern breeze. But if you call a group of people “y’all,” you might be Southern, a word which refers to the American South and usually gets a capital “S” — and a side of hush puppies.
A southern breeze happens when wind is moving from the south to the north, and the Southern Hemisphere is south of the equator. When southern refers to the direction, it’s not capitalized; when it's used in the name of specific place, however, it is capitalized. Southern comes from south, which derives from a Germanic word meaning "sun-side."
Definitions of southern
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situated in or oriented toward the south
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situated in or coming from regions of the south“the southern hemisphere”“southern constellations”
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Synonyms:
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austral
of the south or coming from the south
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meridional
located in the south or characteristic of southern people or places
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south-central
being in or of a region of the United States including the states of the lower Mississippi valley and east of the Rio Grande
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Antonyms:
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northern
situated in or coming from regions of the north
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boreal, circumboreal
comprising or throughout far northern regions
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north-central
being in or of a region of the United States generally including states of the upper Mississippi valley and Great Lakes region lying north of the Ohio River and the southern boundaries of Kansas and Missouri and between the western boundary of Pennsylvania and the eastern boundaries of Montana and Wyoming and Colorado
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septrional
of northern regions; from the seven stars (or seven plowing oxen) of Ursa Major
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austral
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from the south; used especially of wind
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in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line“southern hospitality”“southern cooking”“southern plantations”
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Synonyms:
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Confederate
of or having to do with the southern Confederacy during the American Civil War
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gray, grey
used to signify the Confederate forces in the American Civil War (who wore grey uniforms)
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Antonyms:
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northern
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
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blue
used to signify the Union forces in the American Civil War (who wore blue uniforms)
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Federal, Union
being of or having to do with the northern United States and those loyal to the Union during the American Civil War
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Yankee
used by Southerners for an inhabitant of a northern state in the United States (especially a Union soldier)
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Confederate
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘southern'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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