eastern

adjective

east·​ern ˈē-stərn How to pronounce eastern (audio)
1
Eastern : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated East
2
Eastern
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Found over the eastern half of the state in swamps and sluggish waterways, coastal marshes, rivers, ponds and streams. — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 6 July 2026 Parts of the alliance’s eastern flank — Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania — share borders with Ukraine. — Elsa Ohlen,chloe Taylor, CNBC, 8 July 2026 The capital city of China’s eastern Anhui province, Hefei, is already home to over 90 companies engaged in quantum technologies. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026 Rubicon first demonstrated that approach during Russia’s campaign to retake Kursk before the military expanded it across eastern Ukraine. — David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for eastern

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of eastern was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing eastern

Rhymes for eastern

See All Rhymes for eastern

Browse Nearby Words

eastermost
eastern
eastern apple box
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Eastern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eastern. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

eastern

adjective
east·​ern ˈē-stərn How to pronounce eastern (audio)
1
capitalized : of, relating to, or like that of the East
Eastern religion
2
: lying toward or coming from the east
easternmost
-ˌmōst How to pronounce eastern (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on eastern

Nglish: Translation of eastern for Spanish Speakers

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