1
: situated toward or at the east
an east window
2
: coming from the east
an east wind
1
a
: the general direction of sunrise : the direction toward the right of one facing north
b
: the compass point directly opposite to west
2
capitalized
a
: regions lying to the east of a specified or implied point of orientation
b
: regions having a culture derived from ancient non-European especially Asian areas
3
: the altar end of a church
4
often capitalized
a
: the one of four positions at 90-degree intervals that lies to the east or at the right of a diagram
b
: a person (such as a bridge player) occupying this position in the course of a specified activity
Examples of east in a Sentence
Adjective
the east side of town
Noun
The city is framed by mountain ranges to the east and west.
The wind blew from the east.
This summer has been unusually hot in the East.
Recent Examples on the Web
Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2024
Getting there: From Interstate 17 in Camp Verde, take Exit 287 for State Route 260 and go 22 miles east (toward Payson) to Forest Road 142H on the left just past milepost 241.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024
The vote is set for May 13-17 at the Mercedes-Benz plants in Vance and Woodstock, Alabama, which are both east of Tuscaloosa.
—Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 18 Apr. 2024
The girl's body was found by police on Dec. 13, 2021 in a vacant home in Phenix City, about 80 miles east of Montgomery, near the Georgia-Alabama state line.
—USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024
Byron Airport is an uncontrolled airfield about forty miles east of the Bay Area.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
The question of risk to the community at large stems from the nature of the attack in 2014, when Geyser, along with codefendant Anissa Weier, stabbed Leutner 19 times in the wooded area east of Davids Park in the southern edge of the city of Waukesha.
—Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
The flooding threat also increases during this time, especially east of I-35.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
The harshest of those twisters struck Xenia, Ohio, a small city of 25,000 about 15 miles east of Dayton.
—Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 7 Apr. 2024
Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024
After three months of back-and-forth, I’m finally given a time to meet him on a gray day in early March at a coffee spot in east London.
—Sam Davies, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024
The male patas monkey escaped his home and ran through the far east side for one night before being captured by officers Oct. 5, 2023 and handed over to Indianapolis Animal Care Services.
—Jade Thomas, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Apr. 2024
David Moyes, the coach, and his team were met with a heroes’ reception and a bus parade through the streets of east London.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
The report also noted that Black youth are nine times more likely to be shot in Indianapolis compared to youth of other races and youth firearm injuries are more concentrated on the city's east side.
—Sarah Nelson, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
Meets at the overlook deck just off the far east side of the parking lot.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Apr. 2024
The former home of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee chancellor is for sale on Milwaukee's east side.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2024
Two Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers in full police uniform were working off-duty employment at an east side bar in Indianapolis when a disturbance in the parking lot occurred at around 1:30 a.m.
—USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024
Lily Moayeri, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024
The Northwest Territory was made up of all the land west of Pennsylvania, north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River, up to the border with Canada — real estate that now includes Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and part of Minnesota.
—Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
The areas with the highest probability for rain showers and possibly an isolated thunderstorm are located along and east of the U.S. 65 highway and south of the U.S. 50 highway.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
Some areas may see up to 4 inches of rain south of I-20 and east of I-35.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
The light glowing behind it, implying dawn or dusk, is impossible since the real sign faces south, not east or west, where it could be backed by the rising or setting sun.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Boundaries: Mansion Flats’ boundaries go north to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, west to 12th Street, south to J Street and east to 16th Street.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 6 Apr. 2024
The Charlotte firm is planning to redevelop 84 acres on the north and south side of Sardis Lane and east of Providence Road.
—Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024
But on Réunion—the most far-flung of the lot, a small island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar—almost all the rum made there is from molasses, not cane juice.
—Tony Sachs, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2024
Adverb
More than five hours east of Vancouver and about 8 miles north of the tiny agricultural community of Naramata, part of the Okanagan Valley wine region, the home sits atop a rocky mountaintop with powerful views over Okanagan Lake and the flanking mountain ranges.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2024
Getting there: From Interstate 17 in Camp Verde, take Exit 287 for State Route 260 and go 22 miles east (toward Payson) to Forest Road 142H on the left just past milepost 241.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024
The vote is set for May 13-17 at the Mercedes-Benz plants in Vance and Woodstock, Alabama, which are both east of Tuscaloosa.
—Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 18 Apr. 2024
The girl's body was found by police on Dec. 13, 2021 in a vacant home in Phenix City, about 80 miles east of Montgomery, near the Georgia-Alabama state line.
—USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024
Byron Airport is an uncontrolled airfield about forty miles east of the Bay Area.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
The question of risk to the community at large stems from the nature of the attack in 2014, when Geyser, along with codefendant Anissa Weier, stabbed Leutner 19 times in the wooded area east of Davids Park in the southern edge of the city of Waukesha.
—Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
The flooding threat also increases during this time, especially east of I-35.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
The harshest of those twisters struck Xenia, Ohio, a small city of 25,000 about 15 miles east of Dayton.
—Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 7 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Think Brooklyn wine bar in the heart of Milwaukee's east side.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024
After three months of back-and-forth, I’m finally given a time to meet him on a gray day in early March at a coffee spot in east London.
—Sam Davies, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024
The male patas monkey escaped his home and ran through the far east side for one night before being captured by officers Oct. 5, 2023 and handed over to Indianapolis Animal Care Services.
—Jade Thomas, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Apr. 2024
David Moyes, the coach, and his team were met with a heroes’ reception and a bus parade through the streets of east London.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
The report also noted that Black youth are nine times more likely to be shot in Indianapolis compared to youth of other races and youth firearm injuries are more concentrated on the city's east side.
—Sarah Nelson, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
Meets at the overlook deck just off the far east side of the parking lot.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Apr. 2024
The former home of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee chancellor is for sale on Milwaukee's east side.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2024
Two Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers in full police uniform were working off-duty employment at an east side bar in Indianapolis when a disturbance in the parking lot occurred at around 1:30 a.m.
—USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024
Noun
Three days ahead of their prime-slot appearance at Coachella, Blur put on a packed preview show at the Fox Theater in Pomona, Calif., a half-hour east of Los Angeles.
—Lily Moayeri, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024
The Northwest Territory was made up of all the land west of Pennsylvania, north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River, up to the border with Canada — real estate that now includes Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and part of Minnesota.
—Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
The areas with the highest probability for rain showers and possibly an isolated thunderstorm are located along and east of the U.S. 65 highway and south of the U.S. 50 highway.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
Some areas may see up to 4 inches of rain south of I-20 and east of I-35.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
The light glowing behind it, implying dawn or dusk, is impossible since the real sign faces south, not east or west, where it could be backed by the rising or setting sun.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Boundaries: Mansion Flats’ boundaries go north to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, west to 12th Street, south to J Street and east to 16th Street.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 6 Apr. 2024
The Charlotte firm is planning to redevelop 84 acres on the north and south side of Sardis Lane and east of Providence Road.
—Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024
But on Réunion—the most far-flung of the lot, a small island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar—almost all the rum made there is from molasses, not cane juice.
—Tony Sachs, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'east.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near east
Cite this Entry
“East.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/east. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
east
1 of 3 adverb
: to or toward the east
east
2 of 3 adjective1
: located toward or at the east
the east door of the school
2
: coming from the east
an east wind
east
3 of 3 noun1
a
: the general direction of sunrise
b
: the compass point directly opposite to west
2
capitalized
: regions or countries east of a specific place
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share