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• southeast
  southeast

  noun

  the point or direction midway between south and east. SE
• Southeast
  Southeast

  noun

  the southeastern part of Britain, esp the London area

southeast

American  

[south-eest, sou-eest] / ˌsaʊθˈist, ˌsaʊˈist /

noun

1. the point or direction midway between south and east. SE

2. a region in this direction.

3. (initial capital letter) the southeast region of the United States.

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adjective

1. lying toward, situated in, or directed toward the southeast.

2. coming from the southeast, as a wind.

adverb

1. in the direction midway between south and east.

southeast ¹ British  

/ ˌsaʊθˈiːst, ˌsaʊˈiːst /

noun

1. the point of the compass or the direction midway between south and east, 135° clockwise from north

2. any area lying in or towards this direction

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adjective

1. (sometimes capital) of or denoting the southeastern part of a specified country, area, etc

2. situated in, proceeding towards, or facing the southeast

3. (esp of the wind) from the southeast

adverb

1. in, to, towards, or (esp of the wind) from the southeast

Southeast ² British  

/ ˌsaʊθˈiːst /

noun

1. the southeastern part of Britain, esp the London area

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• southeasternmost
  adjective
• southeastern
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of southeast

before 900; Middle English southest, Old English sūthēast. See south, east

Example Sentences

For now, Sean Taylor, chief investment officer for Matthews Asia, described the southeast Asian region as “miserable” in terms of opportunities, in part because of the price of oil.

From Barron's • May 30, 2026

Maguire, who was from the village of Aghagallon, near the southeast shore of Lough Neagh, is believed to have been killed in 1976.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

The “Only in Monroe” episode was broadcast in southeast Michigan, the Associated Press reported, and also published to Colbert’s official YouTube page.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

An industrial tank at a plant in Garden Grove, Calif., about 20 miles southeast of Los Angeles, has been leaking vapors since at least Thursday, authorities said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

And the location of the camp, thirty miles southeast of Farmville, meant that she lived in worker housing during the week and got back home only on weekends.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly