eastern

adjective

east·​ern ˈē-stərn 

1

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

2

capitalized

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

Leslie Montgomery’s home on the eastern edge of Caldwell was supposed to be a safe harbor for her and her three children. —Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 13 Jan. 2025

Within the hour, Goldner received a call from a friend who lives on Altadena’s eastern side. —Gavin Feek, Outside Online, 13 Jan. 2025

Officials say that one-third of the eastern edge of Malibu has been destroyed too. —CBS News, 12 Jan. 2025

Periods of elevated critical fire weather are expected to peak Saturday night into Sunday and then again Monday night through Tuesday as winds could gust up to more than 75 mph for the eastern part of the mountain ranges in Los Angeles County. —Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 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

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