northern

[nawr-thern]

adjective

1. lying toward or situated in the north.

2. directed or proceeding northward.

3. coming from the north, as a wind.

4. Often Northern of or relating to the North, especially the northern United States.

5. Astronomy.,  north of the celestial equator or of the zodiac.

   a northern constellation.

noun

1. a person living in a northern region or country.

2. Northern, a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, eight driving wheels, and a four-wheeled rear truck.

northern

/ ˈnɔːðən /

adjective

1. situated in or towards the north

   northern towns

2. directed or proceeding towards the north

   a northern flow of traffic

3. (esp of winds) proceeding from the north

4. (sometimes capital) of, relating to, or characteristic of the north or North

5. (sometimes capital) astronomy north of the celestial equator

Other Word Forms

• northernness noun
• pro-Northern adjective
• unnorthern adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of northern¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; north, -ern

Example Sentences

At least 32 people have died in Nigeria's northern Niger state after a boat sank in a river, an official has told the BBC.

From BBC

First responders said Israeli drones also dropped incendiary bombs in the vicinity of a clinic overnight in the northern Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, where troops and tanks were reportedly advancing.

From BBC

District Judge Rahul Choudhary in the northern city of Udaipur explained the death penalty saying the murder fell in the category of "rarest of the rare" and it was "a crime against humanity".

From BBC

This has also brought unusually heavy rains to several other parts of northern India, it said.

From BBC

Ali previously told the BBC he wanted to bring a "working class, northern voice" to the Green Party, which he said for a long time had held "a very middle class view".

From BBC