southeast

1 of 3

adverb

south·​east sau̇th-ˈēst How to pronounce southeast (audio)
nautical sau̇-ˈēst
: to, toward, or in the southeast

southeast

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: the general direction between south and east
b
: the point midway between the south and east compass points
2
Southeast : regions or countries lying to the southeast of a specified or implied point of orientation

southeast

3 of 3

adjective

1
: coming from the southeast
a southeast wind
2
: situated toward or at the southeast
the southeast corner

Examples of southeast in a Sentence

Adverb It's a few miles southeast of here. Noun A mountain range is in the southeast of the country. Rain is moving into the Southeast. He grew up in the Southeast. Adjective My office is in the southeast corner of the building.
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.
Adverb
The epicenter was roughly 9 miles southeast of Mammoth Lakes, at a depth of 5 miles. — Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026 Shorter loops are available, or longer overnight backpacking options can be found by accessing Chuluota Wilderness Area to the northwest or Orlando Wetlands Park by heading southeast out of the forest. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
Noun
Both helicopters crashed into a private farm field southeast of McMinnville. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026 This particular hog was raised at PT Ranch in Ione, about an hour southeast of Sacramento in Amador County. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Portions of southwest Colorado and southeast Utah saw two to four inches, whereas areas with higher elevations, like the San Juan Mountains, got up to six inches. — Ava Berger, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026 After shenanigans, walk through the basketball court to where the path continues in the court’s southeast corner. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for southeast

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Phrases Containing southeast

Rhymes for southeast

See All Rhymes for southeast

Browse Nearby Words

South Dublin
southeast
Southeast Asia
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Southeast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southeast. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

southeast

1 of 3 adverb
south·​east sau̇-ˈthēst How to pronounce southeast (audio)
nautical sau̇-ˈēst
: to or toward the southeast

southeast

2 of 3 noun
1
: the direction between south and east
2
capitalized : regions or countries southeast of a point that is mentioned or understood

southeast

3 of 3 adjective
1
: situated toward or at the southeast
the southeast corner
2
: coming from the southeast
a southeast wind
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