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

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

Adverb

Oak Island is about a 160-mile drive southeast from Raleigh. —Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2025

Lake Forrest is about a 50-mile drive southeast from Los Angeles. —Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2025

Noun

Set your sights on Kilkenny in the southeast of the country, where celebrations take place throughout the month and culminate in a Samhain festival. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025

The Mountain State's regions under the warning include northwest Pocahontas, northwest Randolph, southeast Pocahontas, southeast Randolph and southeast Webster Counties. —Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025

Adjective

The film, set in a southeast Ukrainian town occupied by Russia, will explore the search for human dignity amidst the daily horrors of war. —Annika Pham, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025

Heavy rain also was forecast for southeast New England, the New York City area, and some has fallen in coastal sections of South Carolina, Oravec said. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 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