northeast

1 of 3

adverb

north·​east nȯrth-ˈēst 

nautical

nȯr-ˈēst 

: to, toward, or in the northeast

northeast

2 of 3

adjective

1

: coming from the northeast

a northeast wind

2

: situated toward or at the northeast

the northeast corner

northeast

3 of 3

noun

1

a

: the general direction between north and east

b

: the point midway between the north and east compass points

2

Northeast : regions or countries lying to the northeast of a specified or implied point of orientation

Examples of northeast in a Sentence

Adverb

It's a few miles northeast of here.

We left the city and headed northeast.

Adjective

My office is in the northeast corner of the building.

Noun

A mountain range is in the northeast of the country.

Parts of the Northeast were hit hard by the storm.

I grew up in the Northeast.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Offshore flow or winds from the north/northeast are expected to develop after dark, driving winds back up across the region. —Greg Porter, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Apr. 2026

The disappearance of Christina Marie Plante from Star Valley, a small community in a mountainous area northeast of Phoenix, in 1994 sparked an extensive search that included volunteers, the sheriff’s office said. —Phil Helsel, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026

Adjective

East northeast wind around 9 mph. —Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026

East northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. —Julie Mendes, AZCentral.com, 1 Apr. 2026

Noun

Council District 1 includes core parts of northeast and northwest Los Angeles including Glassell Park, Chinatown, Echo Park and Koreatown. —Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026

West Columbus Avenue runs northeast-southwest on the city's Southwest Side, and is known as Southwest Highway in the suburbs. —Adam Harrington, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

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

Phrases Containing northeast

• east-northeast
• northeast by east
• northeast by north
• north-northeast
• the northeast

Rhymes for northeast

• deceased
• decreased
• increased
• policed
• released
• southeast
• beast
• ceased
• creased
• east
• feast
• fleeced

Kids Definition

northeast

1 of 3 adverb

north·​east nȯr-ˈthēst 

nautical

nȯ-ˈrēst 

: to or toward the northeast

northeast

2 of 3 noun

1

: the direction between north and east

2

capitalized : regions or countries northeast of a point that is mentioned or understood

northeast

3 of 3 adjective

1

: placed or lying toward or at the northeast

the northeast corner

2

: coming from the northeast

a northeast wind