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

Tucked away in south-central Washington, about 145 miles southeast of Seattle, the Yakima Valley stretches across fertile farmland framed by rolling hills, basalt ridges, and the winding Yakima River. —Vivian Chung, Travel + Leisure, 23 Nov. 2025

Randolph arrived in the Treasure Valley in 2021 from Yorba Linda, about 37 miles southeast of Los Angeles in Orange County. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 22 Nov. 2025

Noun

That chance does extend as far southeast as Baltimore City. —Cutter Martin, CBS News, 28 Nov. 2025

The park gets a fraction of the visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains just over 100 miles to the southeast, and has attracted little of its attendant tourist amenities. —Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025

Adjective

The clinic forged a partnership with food growers at a 3,000-square-foot urban garden on the southeast side of the Children’s Hospital to obtain food. —Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 23 Nov. 2025

Like most launches from Vandenberg, the rocket will fly at a southeast trajectory, taking it over Arizona. —Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 21 Nov. 2025

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