eastern

American  

[ee-stern] / ˈi stərn /

adjective

1. lying toward or situated in the east.

   the eastern half of the island.

2. directed or proceeding toward the east.

   an eastern route.

3. coming from the east.

   an eastern wind.

4. (often initial capital letter) of or relating to the East in the U.S..

   an eastern congressman.

5. (initial capital letter) of or relating to the Eastern Church or to any of the churches comprising it.

6. (usually initial capital letter) of, relating to, or characteristic of the East; Oriental.

7. (usually initial capital letter) (formerly) of or relating to the Soviet Union and its allies.

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eastern British  

/ ˈiːstən /

adjective

1. situated in or towards the east

2. facing or moving towards the east

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Other Word Forms

• noneastern adjective
• pro-Eastern adjective
• uneastern adjective

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

Parts of eastern and south-eastern England will remain mostly dry.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Sunny spells will continue through the day for northern and eastern parts of Scotland and England, but cloud and patchy rain will spill in across western England, Wales and eventually south-west Scotland.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Strikes also hit Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold for the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah, after a warning from the Israeli army, as well as several areas in southern and eastern Lebanon.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

His house on Kfar Chouba’s eastern edge was one of the closest to the Israelis’ position.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

The most familiar pentatonic scales are used in much of the music of eastern Asia.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones