English Reference

Word

northerly

Phoneticsnorther·ly

US/ˈnɔɹðɝɫi/

UK/nˈɔːðəli/

Definition

n. coming from the north or blowing toward the north. You use this to describe the direction of the wind or the position of a place.

n. originating from or blowing toward the north. Often used to describe weather patterns or geographic directions.

Examples

“A strong northerly wind blew across the coast.”

“The hikers decided to turn back because a sudden northerly gust made the path too slippery.”

“The northerly jet stream shifted unexpectedly, causing a rapid drop in temperatures across the northern plains and disrupting the seasonal migration of local wildlife.”

Examples

simple

“A strong northerly wind blew across the coast.”

contextual

“The hikers decided to turn back because a sudden northerly gust made the path too slippery.”

complex

“The northerly jet stream shifted unexpectedly, causing a rapid drop in temperatures across the northern plains and disrupting the seasonal migration of local wildlife.”

Real-World Examples

“As northerly winds develop across the UK, temperatures are set to drop.”
BBC News · 19 Aug 2026
“But they will drop during the rest of the week as a mostly northerly airflow starts to have more influence.”
BBC News · 17 Aug 2026

Etymology

From norther + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/northerly

English Reference