eastern

adjective

east·​ern ˈē-stərn 

1

capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated East

2

capitalized

a

: of, relating to, or being the Christian churches originating in the church of the Eastern Roman Empire

b

: eastern orthodox

3

a

: lying toward the east

b

: coming from the east

an eastern wind

Examples of eastern in a Sentence

They live in the eastern part of the state.

the eastern shore of the river

Recent Examples on the Web

Wakefield is a town of around 5,000 in the eastern part of New Hampshire, near the Maine border. —Phil Helsel, NBC News, 27 Dec. 2024

Establishing the Wisconsin Dugout Canoe Survey Project, the pair and helpers have so far documented a full 79 dugout canoes, including two of the ten oldest dugouts found in eastern North America, ranging between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. —Jacqueline Kehoe, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2024

Reaching a height of 50 m (164 ft) in Yantai, eastern China, the Sun Tower, by OPEN Architecture, cuts a remarkable figure on the shoreline. —Adam Williams, New Atlas, 25 Dec. 2024

Barbourville Independent in eastern Kentucky was the only other district to fall below $14,000. —Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English estern, from Old English ēasterne; akin to Old High German ōstrōni eastern, Old English ēast east

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing eastern

• eastern bluebird
• eastern equine encephalitis
• eastern equine encephalomyelitis
• eastern hemisphere
• eastern rat snake
• eastern time
• eastern white pine

Kids Definition

eastern

adjective

east·​ern ˈē-stərn 

1

capitalized : of, relating to, or like that of the East

Eastern religion

2

: lying toward or coming from the east

easternmost

-ˌmōst 

adjective