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

Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline network, or Petroline, is a roughly 750-mile system that transports crude across Saudi Arabia, connecting Abqaiq on the oil-rich kingdom’s eastern Gulf coast to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea. — Lee Ying Shan,sam Meredith, CNBC, 14 July 2026

Brannan Island State Recreation Area Located near the eastern end of the maze of rivers and sloughs that make up the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado july 14, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026

From within a narrow 180-mile-wide path of totality across eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain, a total solar eclipse will briefly turn day into night for lucky locals and intrepid eclipse chasers. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 14 July 2026

In 2022, 14 people were killed by a fire at a music bar in the eastern part of the country. — ABC News, 13 July 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