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Mesoamerica

American  
[mez-oh-uh-mer-i-kuh, mes-, mee-zoh-, -soh-] / ˌmɛz oʊ əˈmɛr ɪ kə, ˌmɛs-, ˌmi zoʊ-, -soʊ- /
Or Meso-America

noun

  1. Anthropology, Archaeology. the area extending approximately from central Mexico to Honduras and Nicaragua in which diverse pre-Columbian civilizations flourished.

  2. (loosely) Central America.


Mesoamerica British  
/ ˌmɛsəʊəˈmɛrɪkə /

noun

  1. another name for Central America

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of Mesoamerica

meso- + America


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Until now it was thought that writing developed in Mesopotamia around 3,000 BCE, followed by hieroglyphics in Egypt and later in China and Mesoamerica.

From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2026

Mr. Darnielle’s happy place, clearly, is among the ancient Greeks and the gods of Mesoamerica.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025

In ancient Mesoamerica, for example, the color white represented the spark of a creative process, while black was the color of death.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2024

Ancient Aztec communities from the pre-Columbian period of Mesoamerica had a rich mythological codex that was also part of their ritual and sacrificial ceremonies.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 19, 2024

Except for dogs, Mesoamerica was utterly without indigenous mammals to fill those needs.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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