- in, towards, or (esp of a wind) from the southeast
- a strong wind or storm from the southeast
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
south•east•er•ly
(south′ē′stər lē; Naut. sou′ē′stər lē),USA pronunciation adj., adv.
- Nautical, Naval Termstoward or from the southeast.
- south + easterly 1700–10
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
southeasterly /ˌsaʊθˈiːstəlɪ; ˌsaʊˈiːstəlɪ/ adj , adv
south•east /ˌsaʊθˈist/USA pronunciation
n.
adj.
adv.
south•east•ern, adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- [countable;
- Geography, Nautical, Naval Termsthe point or direction midway between south and east. Abbr.: SE
- Geographya region in this direction.
- Place Names the Southeast, the southeast region of the United States.
singular;
often: the + ~]
adj.
- Nautical, Naval Termsin, toward, or facing the southeast:a southeast course.
- Nautical, Naval Termscoming from the southeast:a southeast wind.
adv.
- Nautical, Naval Termstoward the southeast:sailing southeast.
- from the southeast.
south•east•ern, adj.
south•east
(south′ēst′; Naut. sou′ēst′),USA pronunciation n.
adj.
adv.
south′east′ern, adj.
south•east•ern•most
(south′ē′stərn mōst′ or, esp. Brit., -məst),USA pronunciation adj.
- Geography, Nautical, Naval Termsthe point or direction midway between south and east. Abbr.: SE
- Geographya region in this direction.
- Place Names(cap.) the southeast region of the United States.
adj.
- Nautical, Naval Termslying toward, situated in, or directed toward the southeast.
- Nautical, Naval Termscoming from the southeast, as a wind.
adv.
- Nautical, Naval Termsin the direction midway between south and east.
- Middle English southest, Old English sūthēast. See south, east bef. 900