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

Greenland is located in the Arctic region, northeast of Canada. —Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026

Asheboro is about an 85-mile drive northeast from uptown Charlotte. —Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Jan. 2026

Adjective

In Taraba State in northeast Nigeria, 73 Christians were killed compared with 12 Muslims. —Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026

One man is dead, and two children were listed in stable condition following a water rescue on the city's northeast side after a crash just after midnight on Tuesday. —Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 13 Jan. 2026

Noun

On Thursday, attacks knocked out power in Zhytomyr in the west and Kharkiv in northeast, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy. —Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 17 Jan. 2026

Looking ahead to 2026 Forecasters expect an area of low atmospheric pressure to moves along the Red River to our northeast, redirecting winds from the west to the northwest. —Roberto Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 1 Jan. 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