- of, relating to, or situated in the north
- towards or in the direction of the north
- from the north: a northerly wind
- a wind from the north
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
north•er•ly /ˈnɔrðɚli/USA pronunciation
adj., adv., n., pl. -lies.
adj.
adv.
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026adj.
- moving, directed, or located toward the north.
- Meteorology(esp. of a wind) coming from the north.
adv.
- toward the north.
- from the north.
n. [countable]
- a wind that blows from the north.
north•er•ly
(nôr′ᵺər lē),USA pronunciation adj., adv., n., pl. -lies.
adj.
adv.
n.
north′er•li•ness, n.
adj.
- moving, directed, or situated toward the north.
- Meteorology(esp. of a wind) coming from the north:a northerly gale.
adv.
- toward the north.
- from the north.
n.
- a wind that blows from the north.
- north + -erly, modeled on easterly 1545–55
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
northerly /ˈnɔːðəlɪ/ adj
'northerly' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):