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

Another plane that set off from London, in the UK, was diverted to Plovdiv, just southeast of Sofia. — Pau Mosquera, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026

Van Dayne was driving a 2023 full-size IC Bus for Clinton Central School District in Clinton, a central New York town that is roughly 50 miles southeast of Syracuse, according to the sheriff’s office. — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2026

Noun

In the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area southeast of San Diego, Thanksgiving is one of the busiest weekends of the year, with the Calexico Chronicle estimating crowds at 150,000 to 200,000, mostly sleeping in RVs. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026

The weather should improve from northwest to southeast, although clouds may hang on near the coast. — Newsroom Meteorologist, Houston Chronicle, 11 Nov. 2026

Adjective

At Damen and Roosevelt, CTA is eliminating the northbound stop on the southeast corner of the intersection. — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026

Democrats win big in southeast Mecklenburg On paper, Democrats looked to be well-positioned in southeast Mecklenburg County. — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 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