southeast

1 of 3

adverb

south·​east sau̇th-ˈēst How to pronounce southeast (audio)
 nautical  sau̇-ˈēst
: to, toward, or in the southeast

southeast

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: the general direction between south and east
b
: the point midway between the south and east compass points
2
capitalized : regions or countries lying to the southeast of a specified or implied point of orientation

southeast

3 of 3

adjective

1
: coming from the southeast
a southeast wind
2
: situated toward or at the southeast
the southeast corner

Examples of southeast in a Sentence

Adverb It's a few miles southeast of here. Noun A mountain range is in the southeast of the country. Rain is moving into the Southeast. He grew up in the Southeast. Adjective My office is in the southeast corner of the building.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
Thirty miles southeast, in Greeley, don’t miss the Houston Gardens, 515 23rd Ave., where a natural surface trail runs through a peaceful 4.3-acre courtyard featuring Colorado ecosystems. Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 22 May 2025 The plane struck a power line about 2 miles southeast of the airport and then collided with a house, according to the Eliott Simpson, a senior aviation accident investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board. Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 22 May 2025
Noun
Bernalillo County is about a 5-mile drive southeast from Albuquerque. Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 23 May 2025 Pleasant Hills is about a 9-mile drive southeast from Pittsburgh. Kate Linderman, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025
Adjective
The proposal includes a public park at the southeast corner of the site in cooperation with the Naperville Park District and constructing sidewalks and a walking path. Marie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025 Police found about seven shell casings from a .22 caliber gun, three .223 shell casings and one 9mm shell casing that appeared to be related to the shooting near a dumpster in the southeast corner of the park, the affidavits state. Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for southeast

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of southeast was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Southeast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southeast. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

southeast

1 of 3 adverb
south·​east sau̇-ˈthēst How to pronounce southeast (audio)
 nautical  sau̇-ˈēst
: to or toward the southeast

southeast

2 of 3 noun
1
: the direction between south and east
2
capitalized : regions or countries southeast of a point that is mentioned or understood

southeast

3 of 3 adjective
1
: situated toward or at the southeast
the southeast corner
2
: coming from the southeast
a southeast wind

More from Merriam-Webster on southeast

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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