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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

When I graduated, my father gave me $400 for a one-way plane ticket to Cairns, about 3,000 miles northeast of us.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026

The Farms is located 25 miles northeast of San Diego close to where Mickelson grew up.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

Forecasts indicated that the typhoon would pass near Okinawa before turning northeast toward the Amami region around June 1-2.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026

The outbreak was declared in the Ituri, in the northeast of the DRC -- which is one of the poorest countries in the world.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

We live on the other side, to the northeast, and we’re going to have to go thru the town to get there so here it comes, as fast as I can get thru it.

From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness