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

capitalized : 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

Oviedo is about a 20-mile drive northeast from Orlando. —Mark Price, Miami Herald, 16 May 2025

King said the storms were fairly scattered but a line of storms started in the northern Kankakee County-eastern Will County area in Illinois that proceeded northeast into Indiana, stretching from Cedar Lake into Gary, then Hobart and Chesterton. —Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025

Adjective

In addition to the main area of concern, a slight risk of severe storms was also forecast for parts of Virginia and northeast North Carolina. —Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025

The Southern-style grounds do emulate a certain course in northeast Georgia. —Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 13 May 2025

Noun

His vehicle was discovered at Little Ridge Park on the southern edge of Lake Lanier, a popular but perilous reservoir northeast of Atlanta, Atlanta News First reported. —Jenna Dejong, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025

There’s a chance an astute hiker could probably see Prospect Park from the top of Cowles Mountain looking northeast. —Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 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