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

El Niño events are a climate cycle characterized by hotter than average ocean temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific, which transfer huge amounts of heat to the atmosphere via clouds and heavy precipitation. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026

The Socialist leader replied in his own letter by recalling that Spain had, in solidarity with the EU, taken in migrants who arrived to eastern European nations from Belarus in 2021 and to the southern Italian island of Lampedusa in 2023. — ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

A lot of Eastern European Jewish refugees arrived in France after the pogroms and worked as tailors and seamstresses for the couture houses. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026

During a board meeting Tuesday, supervisors discussed a county survey that indicated limited public support for development in eastern Alameda County. — Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 4 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