If you go northeastward, you go towards the northeast — the direction that sits between north and east.

If you go northeastward如果你朝northeastward走，you go towards the northeast就是往東北方走——the direction that sits between north and east那個介於north（北）和east（東）之間的方向。

People use it after a verb of movement: the storm moved northeastward; the path runs northeastward. They also put it in front of a noun: a northeastward wind, a northeastward route.

People use it after a verb of movement有人把它放在移動動詞後面：the storm moved northeastward暴風朝northeastward移動、the path runs northeastward小路朝northeastward延伸。They also put it in front of a noun也有人把它放在名詞前面：a northeastward windnortheastward的風、a northeastward routenortheastward的路線。

It is a little more formal than just saying northeast or to the northeast, so you meet it in weather reports, maps, and careful travel writing.

It is a little more formal than just saying northeast or to the northeast這個字比直接說northeast或to the northeast正式一點，so you meet it in weather reports所以你會在氣象報告、maps地圖，and careful travel writing還有講究的旅遊文章裡遇到它。

American English likes this form without an extra s. British English often says northeastwards for the same idea.

American English likes this form without an extra s美式英文喜歡不加s的這種形式。British English often says northeastwards for the same idea英式英文常常說northeastwards，意思一樣。

Though actually, northeast by itself already does a lot of this work — We drove northeast is perfectly normal — and the -ward only makes the towards feel extra clear. It is a direction of travel, not a place you can stand in.

Though actually不過實際上，northeast by itself already does a lot of this work單獨用northeast就已經能表達很多這個意思——'We drove northeast'『We drove northeast』is perfectly normal完全正常——and the -ward only makes the towards feel extra clear加上-ward只是讓「朝向」的感覺更明確而已。It is a direction of travel, not a place you can stand in它是一個移動的方向，不是一個你可以站進去的地方。