eastern

adjective

east·​ern ˈē-stərn 

1

Eastern : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated East

2

Eastern

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

Look directly below the moon to find the stars of the constellation Orion twinkling close to the eastern horizon. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 31 Dec. 2025

No agreement was reached on the eastern Donbas region, which Putin insists must be handed to Russia. —Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 31 Dec. 2025

For two days, Chinese warships and aircraft simulated a blockade of the global chip hub with live-fire exercises encircling the main island, while dozens of rockets struck waters near its northern and eastern ends on Tuesday. —Bloomberg, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2025

One of the officials said the strikes were conducted in the eastern Pacific Ocean. —Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 31 Dec. 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