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

The two had met in the 1980s, working on lawsuits filed by the families of coal miners killed on the job in eastern India. —Lauren Frayer, NPR, 2 June 2024

Idaho Power serves more than 630,000 customers in Idaho and a portion of eastern Oregon. —Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 1 June 2024

The Moapa Valley town of Overton, 9 miles north of the park’s eastern entrance, is home to the Lost City Museum, created in the 1930s to showcase Native artifacts that long predate the creation of Lake Mead. —Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2024

An eastern indigo snake squirms in the hands of one keeper and a possum named Ken eats apples and lima beans while perched on the shoulder of another. —Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 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