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

Sheriff's deputies along with Animal Services officers executed a search warrant at properties in Clements, located about 40 miles southeast of Sacramento, as part of an ongoing animal neglect investigation. —Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 23 Jan. 2025

Antioch is a neighborhood of Nashville about 10 miles southeast of downtown. —Alex Sundby, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2025

Noun

Annapolis is about a 30-mile drive southeast from Baltimore. —Daniella Segura, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025

Oregon City is about a 13-mile drive southeast from Portland. —Sara Schilling, Sacramento Bee, 24 Jan. 2025

Adjective

Heavy snow is expected along and north of the Interstate 10 corridor with swaths of sleet and freezing rain over portions of southern Texas, southeast Georgia and northern Florida. —Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2025

Heavy snow is expected along and near the Interstate 10 corridor, while sleet and freezing rain are forecast for parts of southern Texas, southeast Georgia and northern Florida. —Nazaneen Ghaffar, New York Times, 20 Jan. 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

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