easterly
Americanadjective
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moving, directed, or situated toward the east.
an easterly course.
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(especially of a wind) coming from the east.
an easterly gale.
adverb
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toward the east.
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from the east.
noun
adjective
adverb
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towards or in the direction of the east
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from the east
an easterly wind
noun
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A wind, especially a prevailing wind, that blows from the east. The trade winds in tropical regions and the prevailing winds in the polar regions are easterlies.
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See illustration at wind
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of easterly
1540–50; obsolete easter eastern ( see easterling) + -ly
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.
Like previous tests, the company plans to launch the Starship spacecraft on an easterly trajectory during a roughly hourlong flight.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
It was driven by strong easterly Santa Ana winds of 30 to 40 mph.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026
Santa Maria is a resort town on Sal Island, while Boa Vista is the cape's most easterly island.
From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026
The easterly wind will also likely bring occasional wintry showers, with snow for some parts of the UK.
From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026
The Lannisters of easterly Rock were a damnably large and fertile house.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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.
