Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Coming from the south: Used especially to describe wind or weather that originates in the south.
   • Situated in or facing the south: Located in a southern position or oriented toward the south.

2. Adverb:

   • From the south: Moving or blowing from a southerly direction.
   • Toward the south: Moving in a direction that leads to the south.

3. Noun:

   • A wind from the south: A wind that blows from the southern direction.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • A warm southerly wind brought a change in the weather.
  • They chose a room with a southerly aspect to get more sunlight.

• Adverb:

  • The storm front is moving southerly.
  • We sailed southerly along the coast.

• Noun:

  • A strong southerly is expected tonight, bringing cooler air.

Advanced Usage

• In meteorology: The term is often used in weather forecasts to describe wind direction and origin.

  • Gusty southerlies will increase throughout the afternoon.

• In navigation: Used to describe a course or heading.

  • The vessel maintained a southerly track.

Variants and Related Words

• Southern (adj): Relating to or characteristic of the south.
  • Southern hospitality is famous.
• Southward (adv): Toward the south.
  • They traveled southward for the winter.

Synonyms

• South (adj, adv, n): The cardinal direction.
• Southwardly (adv, adj): An infrequent synonym meaning toward or from the south.

Related Phrases

• Southerly buster (n, idiom): A colloquial term, primarily used in Australia and New Zealand, for a sudden cool wind from the south that follows a period of hot weather.
  • The southerly buster provided relief from the heatwave.

Adjective

1. from the south; used especially of wind
   • a hot southerly wind
   • southern breezes
   • the winds are southerly
2. situated in or oriented toward the south
   • a southern exposure
   • took a southerly course

Adverb

1. from the south
   • a wind blew southerly
2. toward the south
   • the ship turned southerly

Noun

1. a wind from the south