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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

When he finally woke up, in an intensive care unit in Oklahoma City, about 90 miles northeast of Comanche, he learned that surgeons had removed 13 inches of his small intestine during emergency surgery.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

In 2013, the couple purchased the Wild Oak Plantation, a 17,000-acre wildlife preserve in northeast Florida, where the Walters now spend most of their time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

Outside of Gauteng, in the North West province, the damage and fear brought by illegal mining was stark in the village of Bapong, about 65 kilometres northeast of Johannesburg.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

Spent and soaked and shaking he lay huddled up against the mast, never looking at Vetch who raised the sail and turned the boat to catch the northeast wind.

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin

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

He plans to go to college in the Northeast, preferably a city with a good transit system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

I got to see what a Northeast thunderstorm was like and see the big hill that kids slide down.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

During their return down the Northeast Ridge to their high camp, the Japanese again came across Smanla and Morup above the Second Step.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer