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• northeast
  northeast

  noun

  a point on the compass midway between north and east. NE
• Northeast
  Northeast

  noun

  the northeastern part of England, esp Northumberland, Durham, and the Tyneside area

northeast

American  

[nawrth-eest, nawr-eest] / ˌnɔrθˈist, ˌnɔrˈist /

noun

1. a point on the compass midway between north and east. NE

2. a region in this direction.

3. the Northeast, the northeastern part of the United States.

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adverb

1. toward or in the northeast.

   sailing northeast.

adjective

1. coming from the northeast.

   a northeast wind.

2. directed toward the northeast.

   a northeast course.

northeast ¹ British  

/ ˌnɔːθˈiːst, ˌnɔːrˈiːst /

noun

1. the point of the compass or direction midway between north and east, 45° clockwise from north

2. (often capital) any area lying in or towards this direction

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adjective

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

   northeast Lincolnshire

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

3. (esp of the wind) from the northeast

adverb

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

Northeast ² British  

/ ˌnɔːθˈiːst /

noun

1. the northeastern part of England, esp Northumberland, Durham, and the Tyneside area

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Other Word Forms

• northeastern
  adjective
• northeasternmost
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of northeast

before 950; Middle English, Old English; see north, east

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

northeast Northeast

On Wednesday, a driver in Aryanshahr, in the conservative heartland of northeast Iran, said he was stranded with his family at a gas station after trying to refuel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

The maître d’ escorted us to a banquette near a window facing northeast.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

The epidemic, which has hit the conflict-hit east and northeast of the country, has caused 3,007 deaths and infected 6,186 people, the Congolese National Institute of Public Health said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

The two will play the role of father and son in the debut feature film from writer-director Evan Coury that started shooting this month northeast of Pittsburgh.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

The Gunnerside team split up, most heading on skis to the Swedish border, 250 miles to the northeast.

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin

He added that "students from the Northeast, who had parents with personal memories of 9/11, were more careful about this, remarking on the sensitivities in their family about the subject."

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

The store donates a portion of proceeds to local cat rescues, such as Kitten Rescue Los Angeles, Northeast L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026

John Ford, director of the Elder Law Project at the Northeast Justice Center in Massachusetts, pointed out that when somebody goes into a nursing home, they are concerned about medical issues, not legal ones.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

Tornadoes, heavy rain and powerful winds battered the Northeast, through Atlantic Beach in Long Island, New York and knocked out power across parts of Delaware’s capital.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

“The score, after ten of the twelve games of the first Library Olympiad’s duodecimalthon: Pacific, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Mountain teams—one medal. The Midwest team and the Hometown Heroes—three medals.”

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein