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

Beginning in Duluth, this legendary highway stretches northeast along Lake Superior's rugged coastline toward Canada, offering access to state parks, lighthouses, waterfalls, scenic overlooks, beaches, hiking trail access points, and charming North Shore communities. —Jacqueline Kehoe, Travel + Leisure, 23 Nov. 2025

The bear entered a home on Highway 207 near Kingsbury, which is about a 5-mile drive northeast from South Lake Tahoe, the Nevada Department of Wildlife said in a news release. —Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 23 Nov. 2025

Adjective

On Thanksgiving day and into the end of the week, expect snow in northern Michigan from the lake effect – when cold, dry air passes across a lake such as in the Great Lakes region – and from northeast Ohio into central New York, according to the National Weather Service. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 22 Nov. 2025

One man died after a shooting outside a home in a northeast Kansas City, Kansas, neighborhood, police said. —Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 21 Nov. 2025

Noun

Two years after he was hired to work for the state parks in 1981, he was assigned to Northern California, eventually becoming a senior archaeologist, managing cultural resources at more than 70 parks, from Del Norte County to Angel Island to Alturus in the far northeast. —Martha Ross, Mercury News, 23 Nov. 2025

Despite these large outlays of assistance, the extremist threat continued to grow in the country’s restive northeast, where Boko Haram has waged a 15-year insurgency that has left tens of thousands of people dead. —Alexander Noyes, Time, 15 Nov. 2025

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