east

1 of 3

adverb

ˈēst 

: to, toward, or in the east

east

2 of 3

adjective

1

: situated toward or at the east

an east window

2

: coming from the east

an east wind

east

3 of 3

noun

1

a

: the general direction of sunrise : the direction toward the right of one facing north

b

: the compass point directly opposite to west

2

capitalized

a

: regions lying to the east of a specified or implied point of orientation

b

: regions having a culture derived from ancient non-European especially Asian areas

3

: the altar end of a church

4

often capitalized

a

: the one of four positions at 90-degree intervals that lies to the east or at the right of a diagram

b

: a person (such as a bridge player) occupying this position in the course of a specified activity

Examples of east in a Sentence

Adjective

the east side of town

Noun

The city is framed by mountain ranges to the east and west.

The wind blew from the east.

This summer has been unusually hot in the East.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Surface high pressure will move east across the region today and will be centered over southwest Wisconsin Monday morning. —Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025

The lucky tickets were sold at Love’s Travel Shop in Tehachapi, which is about a 40-mile drive southeast from Bakersfield, and a Circle K store in Dublin, which is about a 35-mile drive east from San Francisco. —Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2025

Adjective

Crews continue to look for opportunities east and northeast of Sawmill Flat facing steep, dangerous terrain with limited natural features for containment. —Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025

Higher altitude winds over the coastal Pacific may disarm hurricanes too, blowing in from west to east—opposite the direction of the trade winds—and causing turbulence that disrupts the formation of the storm. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 5 Sep. 2025

Noun

The swells will continue to build and increase along east-facing shorelines through the middle of the week, the hurricane center warned. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025

Swell will build on Mon and will peak along east-facing shores Mon night and Tue, producing life-threatening surf. —Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English est, from Old English ēast; akin to Old High German ōstar to the east, Latin aurora dawn, Greek ēōs, heōs

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing east

• back east
• down east
• east by north
• east by south
• east-northeast
• east-southeast
• north by east
• northeast by east
• south by east
• southeast by east
• the east

Rhymes for east

• beast
• ceased
• creased
• feast
• fleeced
• geest
• greased
• leased
• least
• pieced
• priest
• yeast

Kids Definition

east

1 of 3 adverb

ˈēst 

: to or toward the east

east

2 of 3 adjective

1

: located toward or at the east

the east door of the school

2

: coming from the east

an east wind

east

3 of 3 noun

1

a

: the general direction of sunrise

b

: the compass point directly opposite to west

2

capitalized : regions or countries east of a specific place