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

The bones belonged to a mother, daughter and distant cousins who lived in what’s now eastern Germany about 45,000 years ago. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 14 Dec. 2024

Ice storm warnings are in effect until 3 p.m. Saturday in eastern Iowa where up to 0.30 inches of ice could weigh down trees and power lines leading to sporadic power outages, as well as icy roads. —Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 14 Dec. 2024

Mysterious drone sightings have recently been sighted across eastern states, prompting lawmakers' call, for answers. —Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024

Situated along the eastern edge of Stanton Park, the home was a short jaunt to the United States Capitol. —Joyce Chen, Architectural Digest, 13 Dec. 2024

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