north
gb/nˈɔɹθ/ us/nˈɔɹθ/
A1
English
~ 1200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
relation
1
Direction toward Earth's North Pole
The direction that is opposite to south.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] faces/goes/moves north
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'north' with 'northern', which is an adjective meaning 'in the north' or 'from the north'.
Synonyms
northward (Similar meaning, but often used as an adverb or adjective rather than a noun.)
Antonyms
south (The opposite cardinal direction to north.)
Collocations
true north
|magnetic north
|due north
|north direction
|north wind
Themes
geography
|navigation
|travel
|space
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The compass needle pointed north.
- They traveled north for several hours.
- Canada is to the north of the United States.
- The river flows from north to south.
Learner examples
- The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, not in the north.
- My house faces north.
- We walked north to reach the park.
- Russia is north of China.
adjective
A2
property
2
Located in or facing the north
In or from the north, or facing north.
Usage pattern:
[a place/side] is north [of something]
Common mistake:
Learners may mix up 'north' and 'northern'; 'north' often refers to a specific direction, while 'northern' describes a general area.
Synonyms
northern ('Northern' is more common for describing regions; 'north' is often used for specific sides or directions.)
Antonyms
south (Opposite direction or location.)
Collocations
north side
|north coast
|north entrance
Themes
geography
|navigation
|space
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The north wall of the building gets little sunlight.
- We live on the north side of town.
- The storm came from the north.
Learner examples
- The north room is very cold.
- I live on the north street.
- The wind comes from the north.
adverb
A1
relation
3
Toward the north direction
Going toward the north.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] goes/moves/travels north
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'to the north' instead of simply 'north' in adverbial position when not needed.
Synonyms
northward (A slightly more formal or literary alternative.)
Antonyms
south (Opposite direction of travel.)
Collocations
head north
|drive north
|travel north
Themes
travel
|navigation
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We drove north until we reached the mountains.
- Birds fly north in spring.
- The expedition moved steadily north.
Learner examples
- We walk north to school.
- He drives north every day.
- The ship goes north in summer.
Noun
A2
entity
4
Northern part of a place
The top part of a country, region, or city.
Usage pattern:
the north [of a place]
Common mistake:
Learners may incorrectly capitalize 'north' when it is not a proper noun referring to a political region.
Synonyms
northern region (More formal descriptive term for the same idea.)
Antonyms
south (Southern part of a country or region.)
Collocations
the North of England
|North Africa
Themes
geography
|space
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He grew up in the north of France.
- Industry is concentrated in the North of England.
- North Africa has a warm climate.
Learner examples
- I live in the north of Spain.
- The north of my city is busy.
- Many people visit the north of Italy.
Grammar
Dictionary form
north
IPA
GB/nˈɔɹθ/
US/nˈɔɹθ/
Syllables & stress
north (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (north)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: north
Noun
- Base: north
- Plural: north
Word family
Expressions
go north
1/ɡˈoʊ nˈɔɹθ/
idiom
informal
Decline or fail (figurative)
To get worse or fail completely.
Examples
- After the manager left, the project went north.
- My plans went north when it started raining.
head north
1/hˈɛd nˈɔɹθ/
fixed phrase
Travel toward the north direction
To start going toward the north.
Examples
- We’ll head north after lunch to reach the cabin.
- The storm is heading north quickly.
magnetic north
1/mæɡnˈɛtɪk nˈɔɹθ/
fixed phrase
technical
Compass direction to magnetic pole
The direction a compass shows as north, which is slightly different from true north.
Examples
- Magnetic north changes over time due to shifts in Earth's magnetic field.
- Your compass points to magnetic north, not true north.
true north
1/tɹˈu nˈɔɹθ/
fixed phrase
technical
Exact geographic North Pole direction
The exact direction to the Earth's North Pole, not affected by magnetic fields.
Examples
- Sailors use true north for navigation charts.
- True north is different from magnetic north.