Northeast describes the direction that's halfway between north and east. If you're facing north and turn 45 degrees to your right, you're now facing northeast. On a compass, it sits exactly between the N and E, often marked as NE.

The word also refers to a region in that direction from wherever you're standing or from a reference point. When Americans talk about the Northeast, they usually mean the region in the upper right corner of the country: states like New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine. This region was where many of the original thirteen colonies were located, and it's known for its historic cities, fall foliage, and cold winters.

You might hear someone say they're traveling northeast on a highway, meaning they're heading in that general direction. A northeast wind blows from the northeast toward the southwest. Weather forecasters often track storms moving in from the northeast, especially the powerful winter storms called nor'easters that can dump heavy snow on coastal areas.

The opposite direction of northeast is southwest, and the word follows the same pattern as other combination directions like southeast, northwest, and southwest.