north-south

north-south — adjective

1. relating to a position, movement, or comparison that links the north with the so

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

relating to a position, movement, or comparison that links the north with the south — for example, a road running north–south, or the economic gap between northern and southern regions

Example

Camila drove for hours along the new north‑south highway through central Spain.

collocation: north‑south highway / north‑south corridor

Yasmin's essay focused on the north‑south divide in modern Italy.

collocation: north‑south divide

Common collocations
  • north‑south divide
  • north‑south corridor
  • north‑south axis
  • north‑south route
  • north‑south highway
  • north‑south rail link
  • north‑south trade
  • north‑south relations
Synonyms
  • meridional

    formal and technical; used in geography and cartography for the north‑south directional sense only

  • longitudinal

    more general than north‑south; can mean 'running lengthwise' in any orientation, not only geographical

Antonyms
  • east‑west

    directly contrasting orientation or relational axis

Grammar Patterns

north‑south + noun

Usage Note

Attributive only — always placed before a noun (a north‑south road, the north‑south divide, a north‑south corridor). Not used after a linking verb.

Common Mistakes

The road runs north-south direction.
The road runs in a north‑south direction.
north‑south is an adjective and needs a noun like 'direction' or 'line' to modify.
This train is north-south.
This is a north‑south train route.
Do not use north‑south after a linking verb; use it before a noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

While north‑south is the everyday adjective for describing a route, axis, or relationship between northern and southern points, meridional is a technical term mostly seen in cartography and formal geography (e.g., 'meridional flow' in meteorology). Longitudinal overlaps with north‑south in the directional sense but also means 'lengthwise' in any context (e.g., 'longitudinal study' has nothing to do with north and south). The antonym east‑west contrasts orientation only — it does not carry the geopolitical weight that north‑south does in phrases like 'the north‑south divide'. For everyday use, north‑south is the natural choice; reserve meridional for specialist writing.

meridionallongitudinal ↗east‑west

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

A compound of the cardinal directions north (from Old English norþ) and south (from Old English sūþ). The pairing north–south has been used since at least the 14th century in navigation and geography to describe a line, route, or axis extending between the two poles. Its modern geopolitical sense — referring to the economic and social gap between wealthy northern countries and poorer southern countries — became common in the mid‑20th century.