northern

northern — adjective

1. found in, going to, or coming from the direction that is opposite to the south o

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

found in, going to, or coming from the direction that is opposite to the south on a map or compass.

Example

The northern coast of Norway stays dark for weeks in winter.

collocation: northern coast / northern border / northern region

A cold northern wind blew across the fields outside Lakan's farm.

Common collocations
  • northern coast
  • northern border
  • northern region
  • northern part
  • northern wind
  • northern hemisphere
  • northern city
  • northern country
Synonyms
  • north

    used before a noun in the same way ('the north side'), but 'northern' is preferred for broader regions ('northern Europe' vs 'north Europe')

  • arctic

    refers specifically to the far north polar region, much colder and more extreme than 'northern'

  • polar

    relates to the North or South Pole; narrower and more technical than 'northern'

Antonyms
  • southern

    the opposite direction or location on a compass

Grammar Patterns

northern + noun

Usage Note

Almost always used before a noun (attributive position). The exact meaning depends on the speaker's location — 'northern Europe' refers to a different area when spoken from Sweden than from Australia.

Common Mistakes

We drove a northern route across the mountains.
We drove a northerly route across the mountains.
'northerly' describes direction of movement; 'northern' describes a fixed location or origin.

2. relating to the northern states, their people, or their culture — especially the

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

relating to the northern states, their people, or their culture — especially the region north of the historical divide that separated the Union from the Confederacy.

Example

The museum has a large collection of traditional northern folk art.

collocation: northern folk art / northern literature / northern culture

Professor Élise's research focuses on northern American poetry from the 1800s.

Common collocations
  • northern state
  • northern city
  • northern dialect
  • northern folk art
  • northern literature
  • northern culture
Synonyms
  • Yankee

    informal term for people or culture from the northern US; can be playful or offensive depending on context

  • Union

    historical term referring to the northern states during the Civil War (1861–1865)

Antonyms
  • southern

    relating to the southern United States; the main regional opposite

Grammar Patterns

northern + noun

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is tied specifically to US regional identity. Outside the United States, 'northern' readers will interpret it as a compass direction. Often appears in historical discussions about the Civil War era or cultural differences between US regions.

Common Mistakes

She moved to a northern province in China.' (when you mean a specific US region).
She moved to a northern state in the US.
sense 2 only applies to the United States; for other countries, use sense 1.

Word family

  • north
    nounA1
  • north
    adverbA1
  • northerner
    nounC1
  • northernmost
    adjectiveC1
  • northerly
    adjectiveB2
  • northerly
    adverbB2
  • northward
    adverbB2
  • northward
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words relate to the north direction, but they differ in usage and scope. 'North' (A1) is the basic directional word, used as a noun, adverb, or adjective: 'the north side' or 'go north'. 'Northern' (B1) is the standard adjective for describing broad regions or characteristics: 'northern Europe', 'northern lights'. 'Northerly' (B2) emphasises movement or direction: 'a northerly wind' or 'travelling in a northerly direction'. 'Arctic' (B1) refers specifically to the extreme polar north and implies very cold temperatures; 'polar' (B2) covers both North and South Poles and is often used in scientific contexts. For everyday reference to a region in the north, 'northern' is the most natural choice. For a wind or route, use 'northerly'. For extreme cold, use 'arctic'.

north ↗northerlyarctic ↗polar ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

From Old English 'norþerne', which comes from the Proto-Germanic root '*nurþrōnijaz', meaning 'northward, northern'. This root also gave rise to similar words in other Germanic languages, such as Old High German 'nordrōni'. The word has been used in English since before the 12th century and has always described the direction opposite to the south.