southeast

1 of 3

adverb

south·​east sau̇th-ˈēst 

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

Southeast : 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

Adverb

Jones County is about a 105-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh. —Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026

Owned by the Wilton Rancheria in partnership with Boyd Gaming Corporation, the casino is located at 1 Sky River Parkway in Elk Grove, about a 15-mile drive southeast from downtown Sacramento. —Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 26 Apr. 2026

Noun

It was billed as a conference of all opposition parties but media reports suggested that Obi, who remains popular with young voters and in the southeast, could be enticed out of the pact to run on a distinct platform. —Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 27 Apr. 2026

That's about another 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of Springtown. —ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026

Adjective

In southeast Georgia, the fast-moving Brantley County fire was threatening more homes Wednesday after destroying 47 a day earlier, according to Joey Cason, the county manager. —Jeff Martin, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026

Marine traffic data showed it in the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz, on April 10, traveling southeast. —Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026

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

Phrases Containing southeast

• east-southeast
• southeast by east
• southeast by south
• south-southeast

Rhymes for southeast

• deceased
• decreased
• increased
• northeast
• policed
• released
• beast
• ceased
• creased
• east
• feast
• fleeced

Kids Definition

southeast

1 of 3 adverb

south·​east sau̇-ˈthēst 

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