northeast

1 of 3

adverb

north·​east nȯrth-ˈēst 

nautical

nȯr-ˈēst 

: to, toward, or in the northeast

northeast

2 of 3

adjective

1

: coming from the northeast

a northeast wind

2

: situated toward or at the northeast

the northeast corner

northeast

3 of 3

noun

1

a

: the general direction between north and east

b

: the point midway between the north and east compass points

2

capitalized : regions or countries lying to the northeast of a specified or implied point of orientation

Examples of northeast in a Sentence

Adverb

It's a few miles northeast of here.

We left the city and headed northeast.

Adjective

My office is in the northeast corner of the building.

Noun

A mountain range is in the northeast of the country.

Parts of the Northeast were hit hard by the storm.

I grew up in the Northeast.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Browning is about a 200-mile drive northeast from Missoula. —Sara Schilling, Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2025

Kirksville is about a 165-mile drive northeast of Kansas City. —Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2025

Adjective

Harris turned himself in at the Craighead County Jail in northeast Arkansas last week, the Arkansas Times reported. —Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2025

Maryland In Washington, D.C., the NWS issued a wind advisory for portions of DC, central, north central, northeast, and northern Maryland. —Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025

Noun

No damage was reported. 11:32 AM EST USGS says earthquakes in northeast are 'unusual but not unheard of' The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) says that earthquakes are rare but not unheard along the East Coast. —Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025

This mountain range is a UNESCO World Heritage site in the country's northeast, beloved for centuries by the locals for its food and landscapes. —Alex Ledsom, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

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

Phrases Containing northeast

• east-northeast
• northeast by east
• northeast by north
• north-northeast
• the northeast

Kids Definition

northeast

1 of 3 adverb

north·​east nȯr-ˈthēst 

nautical

nȯ-ˈrēst 

: to or toward the northeast

northeast

2 of 3 noun

1

: the direction between north and east

2

capitalized : regions or countries northeast of a point that is mentioned or understood

northeast

3 of 3 adjective

1

: placed or lying toward or at the northeast

the northeast corner

2

: coming from the northeast

a northeast wind