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

Severe weather and flash flooding continue to threaten much of the central and eastern U.S. on Thursday, disrupting Americans' travel plans. —Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 1 May 2025

Saturn and the moon will hover closest to each other, while bright Venus will glow just to their left, directly above the eastern horizon. —Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2025

Four men are charged with stealing over $150,000 in lottery scratch tickets in a series of thefts from at least 45 retailers along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, according to prosecutors. —Brooke Baitinger, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Lesser amounts of rain are forecast in eastern and southeastern parts of the state. —Remington Miller, Arkansas Online, 29 Apr. 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