east

1 of 3

adverb

ˈēst 

: to, toward, or in the east

east

2 of 3

adjective

1

: situated toward or at the east

an east window

2

: coming from the east

an east wind

east

3 of 3

noun

1

a

: the general direction of sunrise : the direction toward the right of one facing north

b

: the compass point directly opposite to west

2

capitalized

a

: regions lying to the east of a specified or implied point of orientation

b

: regions having a culture derived from ancient non-European especially Asian areas

3

: the altar end of a church

4

often capitalized

a

: the one of four positions at 90-degree intervals that lies to the east or at the right of a diagram

b

: a person (such as a bridge player) occupying this position in the course of a specified activity

Examples of east in a Sentence

Adjective

the east side of town

Noun

The city is framed by mountain ranges to the east and west.

The wind blew from the east.

This summer has been unusually hot in the East.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

It's set to bring some of the coldest air in years to locations east of the Rocky Mountains during the next two to three weeks. —Andrew Freedman, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025

The truck struck the bicyclist and then fled the scene east on Red Bug Lake Road, the report said. —Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2025

Adjective

The 130,000-square-foot complex is taking shape in Chandler Park on the city's east side. —Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, 3 Jan. 2025

If a wildfire knocks out power lines linking Los Angeles with New Mexico, the city can look east. —Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024

Noun

The Palisades Fire erupted Tuesday morning in Pacific Palisades, a Los Angeles County neighborhood east of Malibu, as a brush fire. —Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025

For example, the speck-on-a-map village of Brienz in the Swiss Alps, east of Mont Blanc, finds itself in the path of a disintegrating mountainside consisting of 42 million cubic feet of debris. —Paul Hockenos, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English est, from Old English ēast; akin to Old High German ōstar to the east, Latin aurora dawn, Greek ēōs, heōs

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing east

• back east
• down east
• east by north
• east by south
• east-northeast
• east-southeast
• north by east
• northeast by east
• south by east
• southeast by east
• the east

Kids Definition

east

1 of 3 adverb

ˈēst 

: to or toward the east

east

2 of 3 adjective

1

: located toward or at the east

the east door of the school

2

: coming from the east

an east wind

east

3 of 3 noun

1

a

: the general direction of sunrise

b

: the compass point directly opposite to west

2

capitalized : regions or countries east of a specific place