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

Hurricane warnings are in effect in large cities, including Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo in the eastern region, the NHC said in its latest update. —Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025

Melissa is forecast to reach eastern Cuba late Tuesday or early Wednesday. —Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025

The center of Melissa will track across eastern Cuba early Wednesday morning and enter the Atlantic Ocean likely just after sunrise. —Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025

After landfall in Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa was forecast to move into eastern Cuba before heading toward the southeast Bahamas and Turks and Caicos on Wednesday, according to The Weather Channel. —Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for eastern

• northeastern
• southeastern

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