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

There’s a faucet on the eastern end of the campground where water from the creek is piped, but upon my arrival, the trough where the water came out was covered in thick green algae. —Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025

Adding to the concern is the eastern side of the building, which abuts the nearby Amtrak line. —Racquel Bazos, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2025

The Kremlin has been pushing for the total capture of the two regions since Russia's covert intervention in eastern Ukraine in 2014. —Isabel Van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025

Putin also continues to press Kyiv to surrender large parts of eastern and southern Ukraine that Russian forces have failed to occupy. —Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 10 May 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