eastern

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adjective east·ern \ ˈē-stərn \

Definition of eastern

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

—

easternmost

play \ˈē-stərn-ˌmōst\ adjective

See eastern defined for English-language learners

See eastern defined for kids

Examples of eastern in a Sentence

They live in the eastern part of the state.
the eastern shore of the river

Recent Examples of eastern from the Web

Israeli newspapers lapped up every detail of his courtroom testimony, including allegations about first lady Sara Netanyahu’s champagne habit, angry outbursts and racist remarks about Naftali’s Middle Eastern background.

— loveday morris, Washington Post, "He was once Netanyahu’s housekeeper. Now he’s on a mission to bring him down.," 31 Aug. 2017
Mann, the commission chair, criticized the mass of the building, particularly its eastern face on Forest Avenue.

— steve schering, chicagotribune.com, "Albion building proposal fails to get support of Oak Park Plan Commission," 30 Aug. 2017
The bride’s father retired as the budget administrator for the eastern division of GTE Northwest in Spokane, Wash.

— New York Times, "Suzie McDowell, Robert Einaudi," 27 Aug. 2017
Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Saturday that that the projectiles were fired from an area from the North's eastern coast and flew about 250 kilometers (155 miles).

— Bloomberg.com, "North Korea Fires Several Projectiles to Sea, South Korea Says," 25 Aug. 2017
Downtown meters are all set to rise 25 cents an hour as well making the highest rates in the eastern section of the neighborhood $2.50 an hour.

— cameron knight, Cincinnati.com, "25 cent increase coming to many Downtown, neighborhood parking meters," 24 Aug. 2017
This isn't the first crisis to hit the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis), which lives along the eastern coast of North America.

— erik stokstad, Science | AAAS, "Endangered right whales are dying in record numbers off Canada, raising alarm," 24 Aug. 2017
On April 8, 2024, the path of totality will trace a diagonal line from Texas up to Maine, including a good portion of eastern Missouri.

— kansascity, "Miss the eclipse? You only have to wait seven years for another once-in-a-lifetime event," 23 Aug. 2017
In their latest advisory, forecasters said the wave located in the eastern Atlantic, about 600 miles east of the Leeward Islands, had continued to organize.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "Second tropical storm less likely as Harvey continues west," 18 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'eastern.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of eastern

Middle English estern, from Old English ēasterne; akin to Old High German ōstrōni eastern, Old English ēast east

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First Known Use: before 12th century

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EASTERN Defined for English Language Learners

eastern

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adjective

Definition of eastern for English Language Learners

: located toward the east
Eastern : of or relating to the countries of Asia

EASTERN Defined for Kids

eastern

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adjective east·ern \ ˈē-stərn \

Definition of eastern for Students

1 :lying toward or coming from the east

2 often capitalized :of, relating to, or like that of the East

Learn More about eastern

Spanish Central: Translation of eastern Nglish: Translation of eastern for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of eastern for Arabic speakers

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eastern

Definition of eastern

easternmost

Examples of eastern in a Sentence

Recent Examples of eastern from the Web

Origin and Etymology of eastern

EASTERN Defined for English Language Learners

eastern

Definition of eastern for English Language Learners

EASTERN Defined for Kids

eastern

Definition of eastern for Students

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easternmost

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