east

East is a direction or area opposite of west.

• The storm is moving towards the east.
• It’s moving in an easterly direction. (The word "easterly" can be an adjective or an adverb.)
• Our car is traveling east.
• The flock of birds is flying eastward. (flock = group)
• We live on the east side of the city. (Note the word "side" is often used instead of "part" or "area.")
• The eastern areas of our state are less populated than the western areas.
• Somalia is located in East Africa.

The word "east" is often used when describing geographical locations. In the United States, east means the eastern part of the country along the Atlantic Ocean. The east is generally considered to be more established, culturally more developed and diverse, and much older than the rest of the United States.

• Peter is moving to the east near Boston.
• Traveling along the eastern seaboard is popular in the summer. (eastern seaboard = large and small cities located along the Atlantic Ocean)
• Sally is going to school at an ivy league college out east. (ivy league college = colleges associated with tradition and academic excellence. Harvard, Dartmouth, Princeton, and Yale are examples of ivy league schools.)

The word "east" follows "north" or "south" when directions are combined:

• Florida is located in the southeastern part of the U.S.
• The car is traveling northeast on the highway.
• Maine is in the northeast.

When applied to areas outside of the United States, the word "east" is associated with countries like China, India, Mongolia, Vietnam, and parts of Russia. The "middle east" is associated with countries such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Israel, and Jordan.

• Eastern traditions are much older than western traditions.
• My friend, Wesley, lived in the East for several years.
• The Middle East is an area of the world that is well known for its hospitality, but it has experienced a great deal of conflict in the last few decades.
• Middle eastern food is very delicious.

While traveling through the East, we visited the Taj Mahal.

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Date of publication: January 5, 2017