east

1 of 3

adverb

ˈēst 

: to, toward, or in the east

east

2 of 3

adjective

1

: situated toward or at the east

an east window

2

: coming from the east

an east wind

east

3 of 3

noun

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

East

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 East

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

Adverb

Stepping up in Lena Tornadoes hit Harrison, Roscoe and Pecatonica in Winnebago County near Rockford; Gibson City and Buckley, some 30 to 50 miles east of Bloomington; McLean and Livingston counties; and Mendota in LaSalle County. —Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026

The shooting occurred at Howe Community Park, just east of Sacramento’s city limits, in the unincorporated community of Arden Arcade. —Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026

Adjective

Bickle’s youngest sibling and strong ally, Lisa Stribling — who with her husband, Ray, runs Hope City KC, a house of prayer and community center on Kansas City’s east side — has been pushing for his return to ministry. —Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026

Hamza Iqbal, 20, and Rehan Khan, 19, and a 17-year-old of dual British-Pakistani nationality who cannot be named because of his age, all from east London, were charged with arson and taken into custody in connection with that incident. —CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026

Noun

Expect east winds of about 13 mph. —Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026

Positioning bee hotels in a south- or east-facing direction should maximize sun exposure and help bees warm up and emerge sooner. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English est, from Old English ēast; akin to Old High German ōstar to the east, Latin aurora dawn, Greek ēōs, heōs

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

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

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing east

• back east
• down east
• east by north
• east by south
• east-northeast
• east-southeast
• north by east
• northeast by east
• south by east
• southeast by east
• the east

Rhymes for east

• beast
• ceased
• creased
• feast
• fleeced
• geest
• greased
• leased
• least
• pieced
• priest
• yeast

Kids Definition

east

1 of 3 adverb

ˈēst 

: to or toward the east

east

2 of 3 adjective

1

: located toward or at the east

the east door of the school

2

: coming from the east

an east wind

east

3 of 3 noun

1

a

: the general direction of sunrise

b

: the compass point directly opposite to west

2

capitalized : regions or countries east of a specific place