Mediterranean

American  

[med-i-tuh-rey-nee-uhn] / ˌmɛd ɪ təˈreɪ ni ən /

noun

1. Mediterranean Sea.

2. a person whose physical characteristics are considered typical of the peoples native to or inhabiting the Mediterranean area.

3. Informal. the, the islands and countries of the Mediterranean Sea collectively.

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adjective

1. pertaining to, situated on or near, or dwelling about the Mediterranean Sea.

2. pertaining to or characteristic of the peoples native to the lands along or near the Mediterranean Sea.

3. surrounded or nearly surrounded by land.

Mediterranean British  

/ ˌmɛdɪtəˈreɪnɪən /

noun

1. short for the Mediterranean Sea

2. a native or inhabitant of a Mediterranean country

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adjective

1. of, relating to, situated or dwelling on or near the Mediterranean Sea

2. denoting a postulated subdivision of the Caucasoid race, characterized by slender build and dark complexion

3. meteorol (of a climate) characterized by hot summers and relatively warm winters when most of the annual rainfall occurs

4. obsolete (often not capital) situated in the middle of a landmass; inland

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• trans-Mediterranean
  adjective
• non-Mediterranean
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Mediterranean

1585–95; < Latin mediterrāne ( us ) midland, inland ( see medium, terra, -an, -eous) + -an

Example Sentences

In Florida, the resident of a multimillion-dollar Mediterranean compound has been fighting with Palm Beach over a policy enforcing public access to some of the area’s beaches.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

New research has now overturned that assumption, revealing that the artifacts are actually medieval and provide rare insight into the movement of weapons, trade, and military activity across the Mediterranean during the Late Middle Ages.

From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026

Williams snagged a six-bedroom, eight-bedroom Mediterranean mansion north of Miami in 2017 for $5.7 million.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

Sea arrivals into mainland Europe peaked in 2015, when the UN said more than a million people crossed the Mediterranean.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Two years later, Ahmad had graduated and was crisscrossing the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers