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.
After the anti-government M23 group took the key eastern regional capital Goma in January 2025, its forces were filmed escorting hundreds of Romanian paramilitaries out of the country via Rwanda.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Their first collaboration—the strike on the field in eastern Ukraine—was more successful than anything Karpenko had previously arranged.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Perched on a low wall alongside friends, 18-year-old Abdel rattled off the problems that drove him to protest in his final year of secondary school in the eastern suburb of Bagnolet.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
The archaeologists say the ship started its voyage from somewhere along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
It would take them nearly three weeks to arrive on the eastern shores of America.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
