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

The government had been lobbying for such an arrangement for months, framed largely around the threat of Russian aggression against NATO’s Eastern border. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026

The district stretches from Sacramento’s eastern suburbs into the Sierra foothills, including parts of Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, Nevada and Colusa counties. — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026

The 1st Congressional District stretches across southern Minnesota from the western border with Wisconsin to the eastern border with South Dakota. — CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

The South Korean military detected the missiles that were fired from the Sondok area, an eastern coastal region of North Korea, the ministry said. — Reuters, NBC news, 4 Nov. 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