north

Toward the pole

North is the direction toward the top of a map, toward the pole star, or opposite to south.

It serves as both direction and adjective: north wind, north side, heading north.

In many countries, the North designates a region—in the United States, the states that opposed the Confederacy.

They drove north for hours. (Capitalized North may refer specifically to a region or proper name.)

direction

compass

Device showing cardinal directions

cardinalOf foremost importance
bearingPosture or orientation
orientationPosition relative to surroundings

navigate · wayfinding · southward · eastward · westward · heading · course · route · pointing · facing

cold

winter

Year's coldest quarter

frostThin ice coating
chillCold sensation or relaxation
frigidExtremely and intensely cold

freezing · icy · snow · blizzard · subzero · bitter · harsh · biting · nippy · brisk

upward

top

Uppermost part or surface

upperShoe part above sole
aboveAt greater height
uppermostAt the very top

skyward · overhead · up · elevation · summit · apex · peak · ascent · rising · vertical

navigation

magnetism

Force between poles

magneticAttracting iron or attention
lodestoneNaturally magnetic mineral
poleCylindrical shaft or extremity

declination · deviation · orienting · calibrate · gyroscope · sextant · mariner · sailor · stars · Polaris

Categories

cardinal directionssouth, east, west, southeast, southwest
basic wordsand, the, but, on, up
locationhere, there, place, position, location
geography termsmap, atlas, globe, compass, coordinates
Mappingmap, digital maps, compass rose, GPS, latitude
compass termssouth, east, west, southeast, southwest

Opposites

cardinal direction

northsouth

Cardinal direction opposite north

southward · southbound · southern · southerly · southernmost

hemispheric/geographic association

northsouth

Cardinal direction opposite north

austral · Global South · meridional · southern · equatorial

Phrases

North PoleEarth's northern axis point
up northToward higher latitudes
North KoreaIsolated East Asian state
north windAir moving from polar regions
North AmericaWestern Hemisphere's northern continent
North MacedoniaSoutheastern European nation

Family

northern, northwest, northeast, northerly, north star, northward, northeastern, northerner, northwards

Familiarity: Top 2,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G