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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

• southeastern
  adjective
• southeasternmost
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of southeast

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

southeast Southeast

Sarder Udoy Raihan of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre told the AFP news agency that the situation in the southeast of the country was likely to improve soon.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

The southwestern region of Honam -- a traditional liberal stronghold encompassing Gwangju and the Jeolla provinces -- has long lagged behind the more industrialised southeast.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

ENSENADA, Mexico — In a parched hillside village southeast of Ensenada, where electricity and plumbing are scarce and roaming dogs are plentiful, a treasure can be found on the grounds of an elementary school.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026

Less than 300 feet southeast, the main dining hall and a barracks that can house roughly 450 personnel sustained damage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

The plane flew southeast over the Gulf of Tonkin, landing four hours later at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

"In the long run, other issues concerning straits will arise," Domergue said, citing the Taiwan Strait, given China's declared territorial ambitions in Southeast Asia, or the Strait of Malacca, shared by Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

Vang Vieng has been a fixture on the Southeast Asia backpacker trail since Laos' secretive communist rulers opened the country to tourism decades ago.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

Ma’s pop-up show in Southeast Los Angeles was part of his ongoing efforts to highlight people’s relationship to nature through music.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

Europe and Southeast Asia while reducing its store count in China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Even Korea and Japan were heavily influenced by China, although their geographic isolation from it ensured that they did not lose their languages or physical and genetic distinctness, as did tropical Southeast Asia.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond