What does easterly mean?
"Easterly" is a directional word with two closely related uses. As an adjective and adverb, it describes something directed toward or located in the east: ships may sail in an easterly direction, and a coastline may have an easterly aspect. Its most familiar use, however, is in weather talk, where an easterly wind is one that blows from the east — a crucial quirk of English wind terminology, since wind names describe origin rather than destination. Used as a noun, "an easterly" simply means such a wind itself, common in forecasts on both sides of the Atlantic. The word derives from "east", Old English ēast, combined with the suffix "-ly". It carries no particular formality and sits comfortably in both everyday conversation and technical meteorology. In maritime and British contexts especially, an easterly often carries connotations of cold, damp, or biting conditions, which gives the word a subtle evocative power beyond mere geography.
Directed toward, situated in, or coming from the east; especially (of a wind) blowing from the east.
"An easterly gale battered the harbour all night."
When applied to winds, "easterly" indicates origin (from the east), not destination.
Toward the east.
"The storm drifted easterly throughout the day."
A wind blowing from the east.
"A raw easterly kept the fishermen ashore."
Common in British weather forecasting.
Used mainly in meteorological contexts to refer to persistent easterly winds.
"Trade easterlies shape the climate of the tropics."
In Britain, an easterly is the wind sailors and gardeners dread — it blows straight off the continent in winter, bringing the coldest, driest air the country ever feels.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of easterly
The word derives from "east", which comes from Old English ēast, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *austr-, related to the direction of the sunrise. The adverbial/adjectival suffix "-ly" was added to form "easterly", attested by around the early modern period. It shares its Germanic root with words such as "eastern", "eastward", and, more distantly, "Easter", whose name may reflect a dawn or springtime festival. Cognates appear across the Germanic languages, including German "Ost" and Dutch "oost".
How easterly is actually used
Note the potential ambiguity: for directions like 'easterly', describing movement or position means 'toward the east', but when applied to winds, it describes where the wind comes FROM. This from-vs-toward reversal also applies to westerly, northerly, and southerly.
Easily confused with easterly
'Eastward' means moving or pointing toward the east as a direction of motion, while 'easterly' can describe either direction toward the east or (of winds) coming from the east.