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

Turkey is the main foreign backer of Dbeibah's government, but in recent years has also reached out to the rival authorities in eastern Libya in an attempt to mend their ties, and as part of regional efforts to unify the North African country. — ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026

Middle Eastern countries have maxed out their pipeline capacity to reroute as much oil as possible around the Strait of Hormuz. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026

Kyiv also claims Moscow is preparing an increase in recruitment for a new push on the front line that stretches 775 miles along eastern and southern Ukraine. — CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Aid workers say the outbreak continues to outpace response that’s been expanding across the five eastern provinces affected. — Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026

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