eastern
Americanadjective
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lying toward or situated in the east.
the eastern half of the island.
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directed or proceeding toward the east.
an eastern route.
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coming from the east.
an eastern wind.
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(often initial capital letter) of or relating to the East in the U.S..
an eastern congressman.
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(initial capital letter) of or relating to the Eastern Church or to any of the churches comprising it.
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(usually initial capital letter) of, relating to, or characteristic of the East; Oriental.
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(usually initial capital letter) (formerly) of or relating to the Soviet Union and its allies.
adjective
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situated in or towards the east
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facing or moving towards the east
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of eastern
before 1000; Middle English esterne, Old English ēasterne; akin to Old Norse austroenn, Old High German ōstrōni. See east , -ern
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It has recently been in the eastern Mediterranean as part of the UK's defensive operations there.
From BBC • May 9, 2026
It is not merely the defeat of a three-term incumbent, but the completion of the party's long march into eastern India.
From BBC • May 4, 2026
About 68,000 US troops are permanently stationed in Europe, according to figures from the US Department of Defense, with thousands of others deployed on a rotational basis, primarily in countries on NATO's eastern flank.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
Exxon, the biggest U.S. oil company, has a larger presence in the Persian Gulf, but Chevron, the nation’s second-biggest oil company, also has exposure to the conflict, mainly through natural-gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean.
From MarketWatch • May 2, 2026
Haiti occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola, in the Caribbean, while the more prosperous Dominican Republic, once ruled by Spain, governs the eastern two-thirds.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
