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

Later that same month, parts of eastern North America and Europe will witness a partial solar eclipse. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025

Ashtabula Inland County, Lake County and eastern portions of Cuyahoga County are expected to get anywhere from 6 to 10 inches by Thursday night. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025

Ovechkin is somewhat unlikely to be close to the record at this point, which is good luck for the league, who definitely don’t want to see history happen when eastern sports fans are already asleep. —Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025

At its peak, about 800 were incarcerated at the site in the eastern tip of Cuba. —CBS News, 31 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