Mesopotamia

American  

[mes-uh-puh-tey-mee-uh] / ˌmɛs ə pəˈteɪ mi ə /

noun

1. an ancient region in W Asia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers: now part of Iraq.

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Mesopotamia British  

/ ˌmɛsəpəˈteɪmɪə /

noun

1. a region of SW Asia between the lower and middle reaches of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers: site of several ancient civilizations

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Mesopotamia Cultural  

1. A region of western Asia, in what is now Iraq, known as the “cradle of civilization.” Western writing first developed there, done with sticks on clay tablets. Agricultural organization on a large scale also began in Mesopotamia, along with work in bronze and iron (see Bronze Age and Iron Age). Governmental systems in the region were especially advanced (see Babylon (see also Babylon) and Hammurabi). A number of peoples lived in Mesopotamia, including the Sumerians, Akkadians, Hittites, and Assyrians.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Mesopotamian
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Mesopotamia

Latin from Greek mesopotamia ( khora ) (the land) between rivers

Example Sentences

Traveling extensively with her archaeologist husband in Mesopotamia, Christie was adamant that “all I needed was a steady table and a typewriter.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

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

Centered in Persia, that empire at its peak included Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Levant, Anatolia, and parts of Eastern Arabia and Central Asia.

From Science Daily • Dec. 18, 2025

Similar anxieties entered the literary record in Mesopotamia and were picked up in the ancient literary traditions of India and China.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 21, 2025

Why was its printing method invented around 1700 B.C. in Crete and not at some other time in Mesopotamia, Mexico, or any other ancient center of writing?

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