northeast

1 of 3

adverb

north·​east nȯrth-ˈēst 

nautical

nȯr-ˈēst 

: to, toward, or in the northeast

northeast

2 of 3

adjective

1

: coming from the northeast

a northeast wind

2

: situated toward or at the northeast

the northeast corner

northeast

3 of 3

noun

1

a

: the general direction between north and east

b

: the point midway between the north and east compass points

2

Northeast : regions or countries lying to the northeast of a specified or implied point of orientation

Examples of northeast in a Sentence

Adverb

It's a few miles northeast of here.

We left the city and headed northeast.

Adjective

My office is in the northeast corner of the building.

Noun

A mountain range is in the northeast of the country.

Parts of the Northeast were hit hard by the storm.

I grew up in the Northeast.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

But with the exception of one section near Clybourn Avenue, all of Ogden Avenue northeast of the Chicago River's North Branch was later eliminated. —Adam Harrington, CBS News, 14 June 2026

While responding to several wildfires northeast of Santa Maria along Highway 166 last August, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Chad Fleming came across a man engulfed in flames. —William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026

Adjective

At Francis Burger Joint in northeast Minneapolis, people gathered to watch a livestream of a No Kings event in New York City, while also honoring former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman. —Jason Rantala, CBS News, 15 June 2026

On May 24, 39-year-old spearfishing diver Michael Jensz suffered fatal head injuries in an attack on the Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s northeast coast. —ABC News, 13 June 2026

Noun

Ogden Avenue used to run northeast-southwest through Old Town and into Cabrini-Green, and then rose over a viaduct above Halsted and Division streets and Goose Island before returning to ground level at Sangamon Street in West Town. —Adam Harrington, CBS News, 14 June 2026

His populist policies won strong support among poorer voters, particularly in the rural north and northeast, but his popularity and sometimes high-handed style created deep fractures between his base and the country’s urban elites, royalists and the military. —ABC News, 3 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing northeast

• east-northeast
• northeast by east
• northeast by north
• north-northeast
• the northeast

Rhymes for northeast

• deceased
• decreased
• increased
• policed
• released
• southeast
• beast
• ceased
• creased
• east
• feast
• fleeced

Kids Definition

northeast

1 of 3 adverb

north·​east nȯr-ˈthēst 

nautical

nȯ-ˈrēst 

: to or toward the northeast

northeast

2 of 3 noun

1

: the direction between north and east

2

capitalized : regions or countries northeast of a point that is mentioned or understood

northeast

3 of 3 adjective

1

: placed or lying toward or at the northeast

the northeast corner

2

: coming from the northeast

a northeast wind