northern

northern — adjective

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

1.形容詞B1
釋義

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

例句

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.

同義詞
  • 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'

反義詞
  • southern

    the opposite direction or location on a compass

文法句型

northern + noun

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.形容詞B2
釋義

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.

例句

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.

同義詞
  • 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)

反義詞
  • southern

    relating to the southern United States; the main regional opposite

文法句型

northern + noun

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.