Northern describes anything related to or located in the north, the direction toward the top of most maps and toward the North Pole. Northern states like Maine and Minnesota experience colder winters than southern states like Florida or Texas. The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth above the equator, containing North America, Europe, and most of Asia.

The word often appears in place names and regional descriptions. The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, are shimmering curtains of green and purple light visible in far northern skies. Northern Italy has a different culture and climate than southern Italy. Northern accents in England sound different from southern ones.

In American history, the Northern states were those that remained in the Union during the Civil War, generally the states north of Maryland and the Ohio River. These states had outlawed slavery and developed more industrial economies than the agricultural South.

When you see northern describing animals or plants, like the northern cardinal or northern red oak, it usually means they live primarily in northern regions. A northern wind blows from the north toward you, bringing cooler air down from Arctic regions.