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• east
  east

  noun

  a cardinal point of the compass, 90° to the right of north. E
• East.
  East.

  abbreviation

  eastern.
• East
  East

  noun

  the continent of Asia regarded as culturally distinct from Europe and the West; the Orient

east

¹ American  

[eest] / ist /

noun

1. a cardinal point of the compass, 90° to the right of north. E

2. the direction in which this point lies.

3. (usually initial capital letter) a quarter or territory situated in this direction.

4. the East,

   1. the parts of Asia collectively lying east of Europe and including Asia Minor, Syria, Arabia, India, China, etc.

   2. East Asia.

   3. (formerly) the Soviet Union and its allies.

   4. the part of the U.S. east of the Mississippi River.

   5. the part of the U.S. east of the Allegheny Mountains.

   6. New England.

   7. Ancient and Medieval History. the Eastern Roman Empire.

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adjective

1. directed or proceeding toward the east.

2. coming from the east.

   an east wind.

3. lying toward or situated in the east.

   the east side.

4. Ecclesiastical. being at the end of the church where the high altar is.

   an east window.

adverb

1. to, toward, or in the east.

   an island located east of Sumatra; He went east.

East. ² American  

Or east.

abbreviation

1. eastern.

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East ¹ British  

/ iːst /

noun

1. the continent of Asia regarded as culturally distinct from Europe and the West; the Orient

2. the countries under Communist rule and formerly under Communist rule, lying mainly in the E hemisphere Compare West

3. 1. the area north of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi

   2. the area north of Maryland and east of the Alleghenies

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adjective

1. 1. of or denoting the eastern part of a specified country, area, etc

   2. ( as part of a name )

      East Sussex

east ² British  

/ iːst /

noun

1. one of the four cardinal points of the compass, 90° clockwise from north and 180° from west

2. the direction along a parallel towards the sunrise, at 90° to north; the direction of the earth's rotation

3. (often capital) any area lying in or towards the east

4. cards (usually capital) the player or position at the table corresponding to east on the compass

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adjective

1. situated in, moving towards, or facing the east

2. (esp of the wind) from the east

adverb

1. in, to, or towards the east

2. archaic (of the wind) from the east

Other Word Forms

• eastness
  noun
• Eastern
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of east

First recorded before 900; Middle English est, Old English ēast; cognate with German ost, Old Norse austr; akin to Latin aurōra, Greek aúōs (Aeolic dialect variant of ēṓs, héōs ) “dawn”; see Easter

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

east East. East

On Sunday, drivers paraded across the main thoroughfares of Semnan, a city east of Tehran, blocking traffic, according to footage verified by Storyful.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

The huge time difference means that the game kicks off at 10:35 on Friday in Melbourne - which is Thursday evening in the United States: 17:35 on the west coast, 20:35 on the east.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

“Floor-to-ceiling windows opened to the south and east, bathing the space in natural light,” Jacobs gushed.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026

Check out: Just 18 miles east of S.B. on the coast highway you’ll find the small town of Carpinteria, which has one of the state’s kid-friendliest beaches and a Main Street vibe along Linden Avenue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

The cloud spread like an anvil, carrying ash somewhat west and north but concentrating the spread in the east.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

"We signed with many publishers in the US, big names in the Middle East. Things are moving very rapidly."

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

“The reflation trade has made a comeback in recent weeks due to the war in the Middle East. Going forward, the risk is that a higher-for-longer oil regime continues to fuel reflation fears.”

From MarketWatch ● May 2, 2026

“The fighting there is not as intense as it is in the East. Some Russian units attacking Kharkiv were also redirected to Kursk as Ukraine managed to stall the Russian onslaught there,” he added.

From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2024

“He shares the goal for an end to the violence and a just, lasting peace in the Middle East. He’s working tirelessly to that end,” Hitt added.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 10, 2024

“Nelson,” she said, “here is my address, 234 Orlando East. Come and visit me.”

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

The bets gained attention earlier this year when conflicts in the Middle East prompted a wave of trading in oil-linked perpetual futures on the decentralized crypto exchange Hyperliquid.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Fuel prices in the UK have climbed about 5p in just one week as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with diesel edging towards £1.95 a litre in some areas.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

Within my first year here, I also saw Guadalupe Rosales’ archival photos of fashionable Latina youth partying at the raves in East L.A., projected on the walls of the Vincent Price Museum.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Asian stocks tumbled Friday as oil prices extended gains and bond yields held at multi-year highs as the Middle East crisis stoked supply concerns and a forecast-topping US inflation report ramped up rate hike bets.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

In some spots, apartment buildings lined the border between East and West, and people jumped out windows in the East and landed in the West.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin