1
a
: the general direction between south and east
b
: the point midway between the south and east compass points
2
capitalized
: regions or countries lying to the southeast of a specified or implied point of orientation
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
Julia Gomez, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
The newer structure is fixed about 115 miles southeast of the Chinese port city of Qingdao.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Mark Price, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2025
Tempe is about a 12-mile drive southeast from Phoenix.
—Sara Schilling, Sacbee.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 18 Apr. 2025
The tendency in the forecast has been for the front to set up across southeast portions of the Kansas City forecast area.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for southeast
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Adverb
The toddler had wandered away from his home in Seligman, Arizona, about 180 miles southeast of Las Vegas, and into rough terrain.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
The newer structure is fixed about 115 miles southeast of the Chinese port city of Qingdao.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
Vero Beach is about a 105-mile drive southeast from Orlando.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2025
Tempe is about a 12-mile drive southeast from Phoenix.
—Sara Schilling, Sacbee.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Clearly, there's something out of the ordinary going on in the Eastern Range, which extends over much of the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, east, and northeast of Cape Canaveral.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 18 Apr. 2025
The tendency in the forecast has been for the front to set up across southeast portions of the Kansas City forecast area.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for southeast
Cite this Entry
“Southeast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southeast. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
southeast
1 of 3 adverb
south·east
sau̇-ˈthēst 
nautical sau̇-ˈēst
: to or toward the southeast
southeast
2 of 3 noun1
: the direction between south and east
2
capitalized
: regions or countries southeast of a point that is mentioned or understood
southeast
3 of 3 adjective1
: situated toward or at the southeast
the southeast corner
2
: coming from the southeast
a southeast wind
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