northeast

1 of 3

adverb

north·​east nȯrth-ˈēst 

nautical

nȯr-ˈēst 

: to, toward, or in the northeast

northeast

2 of 3

adjective

1

: coming from the northeast

a northeast wind

2

: situated toward or at the northeast

the northeast corner

northeast

3 of 3

noun

1

a

: the general direction between north and east

b

: the point midway between the north and east compass points

2

Northeast : regions or countries lying to the northeast of a specified or implied point of orientation

Examples of northeast in a Sentence

Adverb

It's a few miles northeast of here.

We left the city and headed northeast.

Adjective

My office is in the northeast corner of the building.

Noun

A mountain range is in the northeast of the country.

Parts of the Northeast were hit hard by the storm.

I grew up in the Northeast.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

The confrontation happened Wednesday one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel in Cayo Falcones, off the northern coast of the Villa Clara province in central Cuba, according to Cuban government officials. —Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026

The firefight happened about one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel, in Cayo Falcones, off the northern coast of Villa Clara province in central Cuba. —David Goodhue, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026

Adjective

While most places will see only rain, a wintry mix of rain and snow may fall near the Iowa border and across northeast Missouri, the weather service said. —Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026

The Sheriff’s Office has defended its track record in northeast Broward County. —Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026

Noun

The daily talk show made major changes to Monday's broadcast, as a historic blizzard ripped through the American northeast and blanketed the region in several inches of snow. —Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Feb. 2026

Troops departed the al Tanf garrison in southern Syria and the al Shaddadi base in the country's northeast earlier this year. —Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

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

Phrases Containing northeast

• east-northeast
• northeast by east
• northeast by north
• north-northeast
• the northeast

Rhymes for northeast

• deceased
• decreased
• increased
• policed
• released
• southeast
• beast
• ceased
• creased
• east
• feast
• fleeced

Kids Definition

northeast

1 of 3 adverb

north·​east nȯr-ˈthēst 

nautical

nȯ-ˈrēst 

: to or toward the northeast

northeast

2 of 3 noun

1

: the direction between north and east

2

capitalized : regions or countries northeast of a point that is mentioned or understood

northeast

3 of 3 adjective

1

: placed or lying toward or at the northeast

the northeast corner

2

: coming from the northeast

a northeast wind