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

In Shasta County, the potential shutoffs are concentrated along Highway 299 near Round Mountain and Montgomery Creek, northeast of Redding. — Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Winds are blowing north to northeast at 10-15 mph with gusts as high as 20 mph. — Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026

Adjective

Afternoon highs are expected to reach the low 80s, with spotty showers developing as northeast winds increase throughout the day. — Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

North Indiana Avenue Apartments A cluster of apartment buildings that face each other in the 100 block of North Indiana Avenue show the growth of multifamily housing along major corridors in northeast Kansas City in the earlier 1900s. — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026

Noun

Josephine should dissipate by Sunday evening when forecasters expect it to be absorbed by a new area of low pressure currently developing to its northeast, according to the hurricane center. — Robin Webb, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026

Northeast wind gusts of up to 40 mph and seas reaching 7-12 feet could also produce dangerous marine conditions and additional beach erosion into Thursday. — Grant Gilmore, CBS News, 21 Oct. 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