eastern

adjective

east·​ern ˈē-stərn 

1

capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated East

2

capitalized

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

The heavy rain from Kiko could bring 1 to 2 inches of rain across the islands, with 2 to 4 inches on the eastern and northern sides of Big Island, Maui and Oahu, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025

Hardest-hit was the eastern province of Donetsk with 10 civilian deaths and 20 injuries. —Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

In the eastern Zaporizhzhia region, one woman died and another was wounded in a Russian attack, local authorities said early on Tuesday. —Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025

The regrowth of forest in eastern North America boosted their population – as did protection from shooting. —Tom Langen, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025

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