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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

Trump then inaugurated another golf course bearing his name in the town of Balmedie, near Aberdeen on the northeast Scottish coast.

From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 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

Olympus in Thessaly, in the northeast of Greece.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Al is living a very sane, quiet life in the Northeast now.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 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

Some lawyers will take cases pro bono, and agencies like Ford’s Northeast Justice Center don’t charge fees for these cases.

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

We pass the transition blocks, where North Portland becomes Northeast.

From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson