southerly

[ suhth-er-lee ]
See synonyms for southerly on Thesaurus.com
adjective, adverb
  1. toward the south: a southerly course.

  2. (especially of a wind) coming from the south: a gentle southerly breeze.

noun,plural south·er·lies.
  1. a wind that blows from the south.

Origin of southerly

1
1545–55; south + -erly (see easterly)

Other words from southerly

  • south·er·li·ness, noun

Words Nearby southerly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use southerly in a sentence

  • The ship lifted, took off alone in a southerly direction, flying higher and higher and out of sight.

    Valley of the Croen | Lee Tarbell
  • In a southerly direction, lying between the forest line and cliff brink, were dotted small huts at long intervals.

    Menotah | Ernest G. Henham
  • southerly and south-easterly gales, known as 'southerly busters,' often last three days, and bring cold rain and dirty weather.

    Yachting Vol. 2 | Various.
  • A darkening of the water some miles distant showed that a southerly breeze was coming in.

    The Rival Campers Afloat | Ruel Perley Smith
  • A brisk southerly wind prevailed, that rendered the atmosphere less oppressive than usual.

British Dictionary definitions for southerly

southerly

/ (ˈsʌðəlɪ) /


adjective
  1. of, relating to, or situated in the south

adverb, adjective
  1. towards or in the direction of the south

  2. from the south: a southerly wind

nounplural -lies
  1. a wind from the south

Derived forms of southerly

  • southerliness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012