noun

southerly

SUH-thuh-lee

Southerly (noun) means a wind blowing from the south. Example: “A cold southerly swept across the plains.”

noun

A wind blowing from the south.

"A cold southerly swept across the plains."

adjective

Facing, moving toward, or coming from the south.

"They took a southerly route to avoid the mountains."

How to use southerly

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishToward or from the south — often used for wind direction.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "southern," which describes a fixed location rather than direction or movement.

Easily confused with

southern →

more southerly comparative, more southerly comparative, southerlies plural, most southerly superlative, most southerly superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

A cold _____ swept across the plains.

From souther + the adjective/adverb suffix -ly.

southly

overly miserly orderly elderly utterly eagerly Beverly Waverly fatherly motherly properly westerly

What does “southerly” mean?

The word “southerly” means a wind blowing from the south. In plain terms, toward or from the south — often used for wind direction.

How do you pronounce “southerly”?

“Southerly” is pronounced SUH-thuh-lee (/ˈsʌðɚli/ in IPA).

How do you use “southerly” in a sentence?

Here is “southerly” used in a sentence: “A cold southerly swept across the plains.”

What is another word for “southerly”?

Words with a similar meaning to “southerly” include southly.

What part of speech is “southerly”?

Depending on how it is used, “southerly” can be a noun and an adjective.

How many meanings does “southerly” have?

“Southerly” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a wind blowing from the south.