southeastward: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal / Technical / Geographical
Quick answer
What does “southeastward” mean?
Moving, facing, or situated toward the southeast.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Moving, facing, or situated toward the southeast.
Pertaining to the general direction or region that lies between south and east. Can also refer to a movement, journey, or route heading in that direction.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. The adverbial form '-wards' (southeastwards) is slightly more common in British English, while '-ward' (southeastward) is standard in American English.
Connotations
Neutral; denotes precise geographical orientation.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both dialects, used in specific contexts like navigation, geography, and weather reporting.
Grammar
How to Use “southeastward” in a Sentence
VERB + southeastward (adverbial)southeastward + NOUN (adjectival)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “southeastward” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The fleet began to southeastward at dawn.
American English
- The fleet began to southeastward at dawn.
adverb
British English
- The birds migrate southeastwards for the winter.
American English
- The front is moving southeastward, bringing cooler air.
adjective
British English
- They followed a southeastward course along the coast.
American English
- We observed a southeastward drift in the buoy's position.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Potentially in market analysis: 'The economic influence is shifting southeastward.'
Academic
Used in geography, geology, and environmental sciences to describe the movement of phenomena like air masses, tectonic plates, or animal populations.
Everyday
Uncommon. Might be used in travel directions or discussing weather: 'The storm is tracking southeastward.'
Technical
Common in navigation, meteorology, and aviation for describing precise course or vector.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “southeastward”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “southeastward”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “southeastward”
- Using it as a standalone noun (e.g., 'the southeastward') instead of 'the southeastward direction'. Confusing it with 'southeastern' (which describes origin/position, not direction of movement).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Southeastward' describes direction of movement or orientation toward the southeast. 'Southeastern' describes the location or origin of something in the southeast part of an area (e.g., southeastern England).
Yes, 'southeastwards' is an accepted variant, particularly in British English, functioning identically to the adverb 'southeastward'. The '-ward' form is more common in American English.
Its primary use is adverbial or adjectival. To use it as a noun, you typically need to add a word like 'direction' (e.g., 'in a southeastward direction'). The pure noun form is rare and non-standard.
You will most often see 'southeastward' in technical writing related to geography, meteorology (weather reports), navigation, geology, and ecology to describe the movement or orientation of natural phenomena.
Moving, facing, or situated toward the southeast.
Southeastward is usually formal / technical / geographical in register.
Southeastward: in British English it is pronounced /ˌsaʊθˈiːstwəd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌsaʊθˈiːstwərd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
SOUTH + EAST + WARD (like 'toward'). Think of moving toward the point where South meets East.
Conceptual Metaphor
DIRECTION IS A PATH/JOURNEY (e.g., 'heading southeastward').
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'southeastward' used correctly as an adverb?