northeast

American  

[nawrth-eest, nawr-eest] / ˌnɔrθˈist, ˌnɔrˈist /

noun

1. a point on the compass midway between north and east. NE

2. a region in this direction.

3. the Northeast, the northeastern part of the United States.

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adverb

1. toward or in the northeast.

   sailing northeast.

adjective

1. coming from the northeast.

   a northeast wind.

2. directed toward the northeast.

   a northeast course.

northeast ¹ British  

/ ˌnɔːθˈiːst, ˌnɔːrˈiːst /

noun

1. the point of the compass or direction midway between north and east, 45° clockwise from north

2. (often capital) any area lying in or towards this direction

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adjective

1. (sometimes capital) of or denoting the northeastern part of a specified country, area, etc

   northeast Lincolnshire

2. situated in, proceeding towards, or facing the northeast

3. (esp of the wind) from the northeast

adverb

1. in, to, towards, or (esp of the wind) from the northeast

Northeast ² British  

/ ˌnɔːθˈiːst /

noun

1. the northeastern part of England, esp Northumberland, Durham, and the Tyneside area

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Other Word Forms

• northeastern adjective
• northeasternmost adjective

Etymology

Origin of northeast

before 950; Middle English, Old English; north, east

Example Sentences

It’s now abnormally dry in about one-fourth of California, largely in the northeast, according to the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

Late one night in October 2023, part of the shelf of rocks and ice that dammed the lake in northeast India collapsed.

From The Wall Street Journal

Monsanto—about a 186-mile drive northeast of Lisbon—is Portugal at its most primal and pagan, yet with postcards and cordial citizenry.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Victorian-era town with dramatic cliffs is on the windswept northeast coast and was developed as a resort by a Quaker mining and railroad magnate in 1861.

From The Wall Street Journal

At Abu Dhabi’s hub, the Journal identified six instances within the same window, and recorded 12 at Sharjah airport, located about 30 kilometers northeast of Dubai.

From The Wall Street Journal