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

From little brother to revolutionary defense minister Raúl Castro, who grew up with his brother in Birán, Cuba, a small village in eastern Cuba in the 1930s. —Chris Kenning, USA Today, 21 May 2026

The affected unit, the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, had been scheduled to deploy to Poland and other eastern flank positions as part of a routine nine-month NATO rotation. —Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2026

The waterspout caused minor damage to tree branches and free-standing objects along a section of the eastern shore of Big Bradford Lake, the NWS said. —Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 20 May 2026

If Middle Eastern supply takes longer than expected to recover, upward pressure on oil prices could intensify further. —CNBC, 20 May 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