southerly

1 of 2

adjective or adverb

south·​er·​ly ˈsə-t͟hər-lē How to pronounce southerly (audio)
1
: situated toward or belonging to the south
the southerly shore of the lake
2
: coming from the south
a southerly wind

southerly

2 of 2

noun

plural southerlies
: a wind from the south

Examples of southerly in a Sentence

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 or adverb
The weather determines everything in these southerly latitudes of Patagonia. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026 The National Weather Service noted a second version that says seeing woolly bear's crawling in a southerly direction means are trying to escape the cold winter conditions of the north. — Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
Strong southerly winds gusting between 40-45 mph will nurture near-critical fire weather conditions. — Joseph Dames, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 With nowhere to go put up as these southerly winds are forced into the ridge of the Sierra, the rising pockets of moisture will fall as rain along the mountaintops. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for southerly

Word History

Etymology

Adjective or adverb

south entry 3 + -erly (as in easterly)

First Known Use

Adjective Or Adverb

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1837, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of southerly was in 1550

Rhymes for southerly

See All Rhymes for southerly

Browse Nearby Words

southerliness
southerly
southerly buster
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Southerly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southerly. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

southerly

adverb or adjective
south·​er·​ly
ˈsət͟h-ər-lē
1
: toward the south
2
: coming from the south
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