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

Monday, June 3, in the canyon northeast of Provo, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office told KUTV. —Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 4 June 2024

Macomb County is about a 40-mile drive northeast of Detroit. —Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2024

Adjective

Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible for portions of north central and northeast Texas, including in north central Texas, Collin, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman and Rockwall counties. —Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 June 2024

Hail, heavy winds and tornadoes are also possible from northeast Maryland to the Catskill Mountains of New York, according to the NWS. —Dave Mistich, NPR, 27 May 2024

Noun

Russia’s biggest advances so far this year have taken place in Ukraine’s northeast, near the city of Kharkiv, where Moscow opened a new front about two weeks ago and seized settlements that Ukraine had liberated in the fall of 2022. —Constant Méheut, New York Times, 23 May 2024

Ukraine war:Blinken visits Kyiv as Russia ramps up military offensive Russia seeks a Ukraine buffer zone Since last week, Russia has advanced about two to five miles in Ukraine's northeast, mostly over open terrain. —Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 19 May 2024

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