northeast

northeast — noun

1. the direction shown when a compass needle points to the area between the N and t

1.nounA2
Definition

the direction shown when a compass needle points to the area between the N and the E mark

Example

The map showed that the nearest town was about ten miles to the northeast.

to the northeast — indicates direction relative to a location

Owen checked his compass and then started walking toward the northeast.

toward the northeast — direction of movement

Common collocations
  • to the northeast
  • from the northeast
  • toward the northeast
  • in the northeast
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the + northeast

to the + northeast + of

Usage Note

Often used with the prepositions 'to', 'from', or 'toward' when indicating direction relative to a fixed point.

Common Mistakes

The city is northeast of London' (confusing noun with adverb form).
The city is to the northeast of London.
When used as a noun, 'northeast' requires a preposition like 'to' before it.

2. a section of a larger place such as a nation, city, or region that lies on its n

2.nounB1
Definition

a section of a larger place such as a nation, city, or region that lies on its northeastern side

Example

Tariq grew up in the northeast of Brazil, near the Atlantic coast.

the northeast of [country] — specifying a region within a place

The northeast of England has many historic castles and green hills.

Common collocations
  • the northeast of
  • in the northeast
  • from the northeast
  • the northeast corner
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the + northeast + of + [place]

Usage Note

Usually preceded by the definite article 'the' and followed by 'of' to specify which region is being discussed. When used as a proper region name (e.g., the Northeast of the US), it is often capitalized.

Common Mistakes

She visited northeast of Thailand' (missing article).
She visited the northeast of Thailand.
When referring to a region, 'northeast' needs 'the' before it.

northeast — adjective

northeast — adverb

Word family

  • northeastern
    adjectiveB1
  • northeasterly
    adjectiveB2
  • northeastward
    adverbB2
  • northeastwards
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all four words relate to the direction between north and east, they differ in grammatical role and usage. 'Northeast' (noun/adverb/adjective) is the most common and versatile form — you can use it as a compass point ('to the northeast'), a movement direction ('fly northeast'), or a modifier ('northeast corner'). 'Northeastern' is primarily an adjective used for larger regions ('northeastern Brazil', 'northeastern Europe') and sounds more formal or geopolitical. 'Northeasterly' describes wind direction or gradual movement and often appears in weather reports and sailing contexts. 'Northeastward' is an adverb used in more technical or written navigation ('the ship sailed northeastward'). For everyday conversation, 'northeast' is almost always the right choice. For example, you would say 'I live in the northeast of the city' (not 'northeastern of the city'), but 'Northeastern University' (not 'Northeast University') as a proper name.

northeast ↗northeasternnortheasterlynortheastward

Common collocations

Phrases

  • to the northeast
  • in the northeast
  • from the northeast

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Northeast comes from the Old English words 'norþ' (north) and 'ēast' (east), which were combined even in early Germanic languages to describe the direction halfway between the two cardinal points. Speakers of Old English used 'norþēast' as early as the 800s. Over time, the compound was simplified to the modern spelling 'northeast', and its use expanded from a pure direction word to also describe regions, winds, and positions.