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

Video captured the sudden fall of an apartment building in eastern Massachusetts, which reportedly left a handful of residents displaced and flattened a vehicle over the weekend. —Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025

Late night flights so far available depart from Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Phoenix and head to eastern cities including Baltimore, Orlando and Nashville. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2025

The attack occurred the morning of February 7 at a beach on Providenciales, one of the territory’s eastern islands, per a statement from the Royal Turks and Caicos Island Police Force. —Max Saltman, CNN, 18 Feb. 2025

Widespread power outages were recorded in 10 states across the eastern U.S. on Monday morning, following inclement weather across the region. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 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