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

Cape Lookout National Seashore is about a 180-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh. —Mark Price may 11, Charlotte Observer, 11 May 2026

Brawley is about 200 miles southeast of Los Angeles. —Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2026

Noun

The sheriff's office said Graham, of Port Charlotte to the southeast of Tampa, refused to provide her identification or follow basic commands. —Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 11 May 2026

Lamar County to the southeast reported about 275 homes damaged, according to the state emergency management agency. —Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026

Adjective

In a park in southeast Baltimore, near where filmmaker John Waters shot his 1980s classic Hairspray, which features the classic Baltimore accent, locals and transplants alike offered their perspectives on the accent. —Ava Berger, NPR, 6 May 2026

Adding more seismic stations, especially in southeast Alaska, could help, though that can be costly amid the harsh terrain. —Megan I. Gannon, Scientific American, 6 May 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