southeast

1 of 3

adverb

south·​east sau̇th-ˈēst How to pronounce southeast (audio)
 nautical  sau̇-ˈēst
: to, toward, or in the southeast

southeast

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: the general direction between south and east
b
: the point midway between the south and east compass points
2
capitalized : regions or countries lying to the southeast of a specified or implied point of orientation

southeast

3 of 3

adjective

1
: coming from the southeast
a southeast wind
2
: situated toward or at the southeast
the southeast corner

Examples of southeast in a Sentence

Adverb It's a few miles southeast of here. Noun A mountain range is in the southeast of the country. Rain is moving into the Southeast. He grew up in the Southeast. Adjective My office is in the southeast corner of the building.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
Robin Deaton, 52, was arrested in Charlotte Wednesday night, according to police in Monroe, about 30 miles southeast of Charlotte. Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025 Before the room opened, arguably the best chance for locals to catch acts like EDM duo Zeds Dead or rapper Denzel Curry was at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, an annual event about 60 miles southeast of Nashville. Matthew Leimkuehler, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Noun
Clackamas County is about a 50-mile drive southeast from Portland. Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 28 Feb. 2025 The Rockford Dam is in eastern Tennessee, about a 180-mile drive southeast from Nashville. Mark Price, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
In the predominantly Kurdish cities of Diyarbakir and Van in southeast Turkey, people gathered in public spaces, dancing in anticipation of the announcement. Robert Badendieck and Suzan Fraser The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025 On Monday, a 54-inch steel transmission line built in the 1930s ruptured in the southeast part of the city, reported the Detroit Free Press, part of USA TODAY Network. Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for southeast

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of southeast was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Southeast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southeast. Accessed 8 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

southeast

1 of 3 adverb
south·​east sau̇-ˈthēst How to pronounce southeast (audio)
 nautical  sau̇-ˈēst
: to or toward the southeast

southeast

2 of 3 noun
1
: the direction between south and east
2
capitalized : regions or countries southeast of a point that is mentioned or understood

southeast

3 of 3 adjective
1
: situated toward or at the southeast
the southeast corner
2
: coming from the southeast
a southeast wind

More from Merriam-Webster on southeast

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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