eastern

adjective

east·​ern ˈē-stərn How to pronounce eastern (audio)
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
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 His five-year-old repair business in Dnipro, in eastern Ukraine, fixes about 100 Teslas a month, roughly a fifth of them from overseas, and employs a staff that varies between six to 10 people. WIRED, 17 Nov. 2023 Consider Jinja, Uganda, located in Uganda’s eastern region near Lake Victoria. Mariette Williams, Essence, 17 Nov. 2023 When Russian proxy forces invaded eastern Ukraine in 2014, the fighting evolved into a protracted, low-intensity conflict. Constant Méheut, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023 Look no farther than Avdiivka, in eastern Ukraine, to see dramatic and horrifying evidence supporting Bendett’s claim. David Axe, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 In a statement, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that these latest strikes had been carried out in eastern Syria on facilities used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and groups affiliated with it. Kyle Rempfer, Washington Post, 13 Nov. 2023 There are urgent needs for weekend help in several eastern states including Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maine, and Pennsylvania. Stephanie Gallman Jordan, Southern Living, 10 Nov. 2023 The strike in eastern Syria was carried out at President Joe Biden’s direction, Austin said in a statement. NBC News, 10 Nov. 2023 Putin sought to remind both Biden and Zelensky that Russia intended to influence events in Ukraine: beginning in mid-March of 2021, Russia commenced new military exercises and began to move additional forces to Crimea and to its border with eastern Ukraine. Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eastern.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of eastern was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near eastern

Cite this Entry

“Eastern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eastern. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

eastern

adjective
east·​ern ˈē-stərn How to pronounce eastern (audio)
1
capitalized : of, relating to, or like that of the East
Eastern religion
2
: lying toward or coming from the east
easternmost adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on eastern

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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