eastern

adjective

east·​ern ˈē-stərn 

1

Eastern : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated East

2

Eastern

a

: of, relating to, or being the Christian churches originating in the church of the Eastern Roman Empire

b

: eastern orthodox

3

a

: lying toward the east

b

: coming from the east

an eastern wind

Examples of eastern in a Sentence

They live in the eastern part of the state.

the eastern shore of the river

Recent Examples on the Web

Zelenskyy reiterated that Kyiv rules out recognizing Moscow's control over any part of the Donbas, an economically important region in eastern Ukraine made up of Luhansk and Donetsk. —CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025

Origins The Lumbee Tribe says it is made up of survivors of multiple eastern tribal nations who settled in a geographically isolated area of North Carolina while Native Americans were being driven to the West, according to the tribe's website. —Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 16 Dec. 2025

All across the top of the continent, caribou herds are declining, from Quebec in eastern Canada to the west coast of Alaska and beyond, into Russia. —Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025

The search for possible compromises has run into major obstacles, including control of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, which is mostly occupied by Russian forces. —Arkansas Online, 15 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English estern, from Old English ēasterne; akin to Old High German ōstrōni eastern, Old English ēast east

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing eastern

• eastern bluebird
• eastern equine encephalitis
• eastern equine encephalomyelitis
• eastern hemisphere
• eastern rat snake
• eastern time
• eastern white pine

Rhymes for eastern

• northeastern
• southeastern

Kids Definition

eastern

adjective

east·​ern ˈē-stərn 

1

capitalized : of, relating to, or like that of the East

Eastern religion

2

: lying toward or coming from the east

easternmost

-ˌmōst 

adjective