Meaning & use
northeast or north east
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
The direction halfway between north and east, or the part of a place that lies in that direction.
Grammar: Used with 'the': the northeast. Often followed by 'of': the northeast of the country.
Patterns
- the northeast
- the northeast of something
The storm is moving toward the northeast.
She grew up in the northeast of Scotland.
The northeast of the city is mostly residential.
adjectivebefore a noun
Located in, coming from, or facing the northeast.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: the northeast corner. Can also be written with a hyphen in British English: north-east corner.
Patterns
- northeast + noun
A cold northeast wind was blowing.
They live on the northeast side of town.
The northeast entrance is closed for repairs.
adverb
Toward the northeast.
Grammar: Used after verbs of movement: travel northeast. Often followed by 'of': northeast of the city.
Patterns
- go/travel northeast
- northeast of something
The birds fly northeast in the spring.
The town lies about ten miles northeast of the capital.
We drove northeast for three hours.
Common combinations
- the northeast of
- The northeast of the country is mountainous.
- northeast wind
- A bitter northeast wind brought snow.
- northeast corner
- Meet me at the northeast corner of the park.
- head northeast
- After the bridge, head northeast for two miles.
Synonyms and how they differ
- NE
- Abbreviation used on maps and in addresses; less formal in speech.
Opposites
Commonly confused: northeast or north east or north-east?
northeast or north east vs north-east
British spelling with a hyphen; same meaning and pronunciation as 'northeast'.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
When giving a location, use 'northeast of': The airport is northeast of the city. 'From', 'to', and 'in' are not used in this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “northeast or north east”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.