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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

Graham did particularly well in Pee Dee, the northeast region of the state and the site of Horry County, where Trump held a rally for her at Myrtle Beach on Friday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Death Valley, which lies about 200 miles northeast of Los Angeles, claims lives every year, despite repeated warnings from park authorities to plan ahead when travelling into such a hostile environment.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

The suspect ditched his bike in the Broadway-Manchester neighborhood, northeast of where Interstates 105 and 110 intersect, and ran off.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

"It was clear from the start that this animal began walking toward the northeast, completed a full loop, and then finished facing the same direction again," Dr. Romilio said.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

I looked dully around the room until I spotted Simmon and Manet sitting in their usual place at the northeast corner of the hall.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

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

But it should also be said that Ms. Northeast, who has a face that might launch a thousand miniseries, makes this one immune to much whining.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Philippa Northeast plays Sybylla Melvyn, a girl in rural Australia who wants to be a writer while her relatives steer her toward a husband.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

If so, the adoption of Algonkian in the Northeast would mark an era of spiritual ferment and heady conversion, much like the time when Islam rose and spread Arabic throughout the Middle East.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann