a cardinal point of the compass, 90° to the right of north. E
the direction in which this point lies.
(usually initial capital letter) a quarter or territory situated in this direction.
the East,
the parts of Asia collectively lying east of Europe and including Asia Minor, Syria, Arabia, India, China, etc.
East Asia.
(formerly) the Soviet Union and its allies.
the part of the U.S. east of the Mississippi River.
the part of the U.S. east of the Allegheny Mountains.
New England.
Ancient and Medieval History. the Eastern Roman Empire.
directed or proceeding toward the east.
coming from the east.
an east wind.
lying toward or situated in the east.
the east side.
Ecclesiastical. being at the end of the church where the high altar is.
an east window.
the continent of Asia regarded as culturally distinct from Europe and the West; the Orient
the countries under Communist rule and formerly under Communist rule, lying mainly in the E hemisphere Compare West
the area north of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi
the area north of Maryland and east of the Alleghenies
one of the four cardinal points of the compass, 90° clockwise from north and 180° from west
the direction along a parallel towards the sunrise, at 90° to north; the direction of the earth's rotation
(often capital) any area lying in or towards the east
cards (usually capital) the player or position at the table corresponding to east on the compass
situated in, moving towards, or facing the east
(esp of the wind) from the east
in, to, or towards the east
archaic (of the wind) from the east
First recorded before 900; Middle English est, Old English ēast; cognate with German ost, Old Norse austr; akin to Latin aurōra, Greek aúōs (Aeolic dialect variant of ēṓs, héōs ) “dawn”; see Easter
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Saturday firefighters were working to "save lives" in the blazes raging west of Madrid, as authorities said a separate fire in the east killed one person.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
He said the blaze was "self-sustaining" and changing direction, with the fire moving east towards Bordeaux on Friday evening.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Then they discovered Lehigh Acres, a vast exurban community east of Fort Myers where Desiree’s parents had moved and where plenty of listings were in their price range.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Nigeria's Dangote mega-refinery Thursday said it has secured $2.5 billion in investment from private investors to fund its expansion plans, as it widens its refining business to east Africa.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
He knew that the High Mountains were far in the east, beyond the Deep Forest, and that they curved from north to south, arching out of the Forest like the spine of an enormous whale.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
“The reflation trade has made a comeback in recent weeks due to the war in the Middle East. Going forward, the risk is that a higher-for-longer oil regime continues to fuel reflation fears.”
From MarketWatch ● May 2, 2026
“Everything that’s happening in the Middle East. I’m seeing prices rise at the supermarket. And of course we have this constant thread of AI data-centers being built.”
From Barron's ● Apr. 15, 2026
“He shares the goal for an end to the violence and a just, lasting peace in the Middle East. He’s working tirelessly to that end.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2024
Darmanin said in a post on X that heightened surveillance around places, frequented by “our Jewish compatriots” are aimed to prevent them being targeted because of the “ unfolding tragedies in the Middle East. ”
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 3, 2024
Someone called: “Of course there is resettlement. We go to villages in the East. They are waiting for us.”
From "Milkweed" by Jerry Spinelli
The fire service was called at about 16:50 BST on Friday to reports of a fire involving industrial units and surrounding land at the farm, on Southend Road between East Hanningfield and Rettendon.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Sheri Lochner, a 64-year-old Monrovia resident, is part of East Pasadena Community Defense Corner, a small group that “provides support and a sense of community” for day laborers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
White suggested that presidential inaugurations take place on the West Front rather than the East Front of the Capitol, as had been the practice before.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Wang called for an early resumption of negotiations and the implementation of a memorandum of understanding aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East and the Gulf region, Xinhua reported.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Seidel’s mother was finally out of prison in the East.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
