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.
Upland areas could typically see 30-40mm by the end of next week, with eastern Britain receiving about half of that.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Quebec and Ontario provinces in eastern Canada, the country's economic powerhouses, are especially expected to feel the pinch, they said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
On Tuesday, Hunt Oil, another U.S. wildcatter with a long history of working in far-off jurisdictions, signed a production-sharing agreement with Venezuela to help pump oil from two fields on the country’s eastern flank.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Hundreds of thousands of tourists a year flock to viewing areas and boardwalks to watch the diminutive sea birds waddle ashore and along the beach in the evenings on the eastern coast's Phillip Island.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
The eastern horizon was glowing a deep red when the last snowflake fell.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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.
