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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

The outbreak was declared on May 15 in Ituri, in the northeast DR Congo, which is home to more than 100 million people and is one of the poorest countries in the world.

From Barron's • May 31, 2026

As for the red wolf, Mr. Moore writes that, in the 1930s in northeast Louisiana, a remnant tract of old-growth forest teemed with prowling panthers and massive alligators.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

Federal, state and private efforts to support tech startups and residential development are breathing new life into some industrial corridors in northeast Ohio—projects that have helped attract new and returning residents.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

Monica Rodriguez is running unopposed for the District 7 seat in the northeast San Fernando Valley.

From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026

An ironic sign in a war zone at a US defensive position seven miles northeast of Saigon, 1969.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge