south

Pluralsouths (some meanings)

Formssouths, southing, southed

1. 1
   compass directionnoununcountable

   The direction toward the pole on the right of someone facing east, at a bearing of 180°; on another celestial body, toward the pole on the southern side of the invariable plane.

   Mexico is to the south of the United States.

   The storm is moving up from the south and should reach us by evening.

   UsageUsually with the: from the south, to the south. South of places one thing: Germany is south of Denmark.

   Oppositenorth

2. 2
   adjective

   Relating to the south, or lying in the southern part of something.

   The tomatoes are planted along the south wall of the garden.

   Anglers lined the south bank of the river at dawn.

   UsageUsually south for a side or edge (the south wall), southern for a wide area (southern Italy).

   Similarsouthern

   Oppositenorth, northern

3. 3
   region (name)proper noun · Southcountable or uncountable

   The southern part of a country or other region, treated as a distinct geographical or cultural area.

   In Italy, the South has long been poorer than the industrial North.

   The ruling party held the North but lost every seat in the South.

   UsageWritten with a capital and the: the South, often set against the North.

   OppositeNorth

   Note

   A writer reaches for the capital when the southern part of a country is treated as a region with its own politics, economy or identity, usually set against the North. Lowercase, as in the southern region of a country, the word marks only a stretch of the map; capitalized, it names a place the reader is expected to recognize.

4. 4
   compass directionadverb

   In the direction of the south.

   Head south on Main Street and turn left at the bank.

   The highway runs south along the coast for two hundred miles.

   UsageNo to after verbs of movement: head south, fly south (not incorrect: go to south).

   Similarsouthward

   Oppositenorth, northward

5. 5
   nounusually singular

   The southern region of a country or area, or the people who live in it.

   Heavy rain has flooded towns across the south of England.

   When the government cut its funding, the south rose in protest.

   UsageUsually the south of + a place: the south of France.

   Oppositenorth

   Note

   Political writing lets the region stand for the people in it and gives it verbs of collective action, in the singular: the south rebelled, the south took up arms. Accounts of Sudan's civil war and of Iraq under Saddam lean on this usage, setting south against north as if each were one actor. Source

   Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

   • Accounts of Sudan's civil war use 'the south' as a collective actor. en.wiktionary.org
   • Accounts of Iraq under Saddam use 'the south' as a collective actor. en.wiktionary.org
6. 6
   proper noun · SouthUScountable or uncountable

   The southeastern states of the United States, especially those that formed the Confederacy in the Civil War.

   The civil rights movement drew national attention to segregation in the South.

   Barbecue styles vary widely across the South, from Texas brisket to Carolina pork.

   UsageWritten with a capital S and the: the South. The Deep South names a smaller region within it.

   OppositeNorth

   Note

   The borders of this informal place name are drawn differently by different writers, but its weight is as much historical as geographic. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Strength to Love (1963) speaks of white people in the South who privately oppose segregation, and Lyndon B. Johnson's The Vantage Point (1971) reflects on being a President born in the South. Source

   Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 5 facts

   • Definitions of the geographical extent of the American South vary. en.wikipedia.org
   • Martin Luther King Jr. wrote Strength to Love, first published in 1963. kinginstitute.stanford.edu
   • Strength to Love discusses white Southerners who privately oppose segregation. kinginstitute.stanford.edu
   • Lyndon B. Johnson wrote The Vantage Point, first published in 1971. openlibrary.org
   • In The Vantage Point, Johnson reflects on being a President born in the South. etd.ohiolink.edu
7. 7
   poorer nationsproper noun · Southcountable or uncountable

   An informal short name for the Global South, used in politics and international affairs.

   Rich nations pledged billions to help the South adapt to climate change.

   Trade talks between the North and the South stalled over farm subsidies.

   UsageWith a capital and the, often paired with the North: North–South talks.

   OppositeNorth

   Note

   Here South and North are economic and political labels rather than compass positions: the South means the developing world, and some of its countries lie north of the equator. The pairing runs through the language of diplomacy, in phrases such as North–South dialogue and South–South cooperation, the second meaning partnership among developing countries themselves. Source

   Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts

   • North and South distinguish economic and political groupings, with South referring to developing countries rather than a compass position. upu.int
   • Some Global South countries lie north of the equator. commonslibrary.parliament.uk
   • North–South dialogue is an established diplomatic expression. history.state.gov
   • South–South cooperation means cooperation among developing countries. ilo.org

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