adj. 1. Situated in, toward, or facing the south. 2. Coming from the south: southern breezes. 3. Native to or growing in the south. 4. often Southern Of, relating to, or characteristic of southern regions or the South. 5. Being south of the equator. [Middle English southerne, from Old English sūtherne; see sāwel- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] southern·ness′ n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.