Syria

American  

[seer-ee-uh] / ˈsɪər i ə /

noun

1. Official Name Syrian Arab Republic.  a republic in SW Asia at the E end of the Mediterranean. 71,227 sq. mi. (184,478 sq. km). Damascus.

2. a territory mandated to France in 1922, including the present republics of Syria and Lebanon (Latakia and Jebel ed Druz were incorporated into Syria 1942): the French mandatory powers were nominally terminated as of January 1, 1944.

3. an ancient country in W Asia, including the present Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and adjacent areas: a part of the Roman Empire 64 b.c.–a.d.

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Syria British  

/ ˈsɪrɪə /

noun

1. a republic in W Asia, on the Mediterranean: ruled by the Ottoman Turks (1516–1918); made a French mandate in 1920; became independent in 1944; joined Egypt in the United Arab Republic (1958–61). Hafez al-Assad elected president in 1971 following a coup; after his death in 2000 Assad's son Bashar took over the presidency; his rule was challenged (from 2012) by an uprising that led to a civil war. Official language: Arabic. Religion: Muslim majority. Currency: Syrian pound. Capital: Damascus. Pop: 22 457 336 (2013 est). Area: 185 180 sq km (71 498 sq miles)

2. (formerly) the region between the Mediterranean, the Euphrates, the Taurus, and the Arabian Desert

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Syria Cultural  

1. Republic in the Middle East, bordered by Turkey to the northwest, north, and northeast; Iraq to the east and south; Jordan to the south; and Israel, the Mediterranean Sea, and Lebanon to the west. Its capital and largest city is Damascus.

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Discover More

Syria was established from former Ottoman Empire territory in 1920 but dominated by France until the 1940s. It is extremely hostile toward Israel.

In the Six-Day War, in 1967, Israeli troops dislodged Syrian forces from the Golan Heights, which overlook Israeli territory.

Example Sentences

The U.S. military, meanwhile, withdrew from its bases in Syria earlier this year, ending a more than decadelong commitment to the country that began as a mission to fight Islamic State extremists.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

Russia for its part has sold Syria wheat and oil, likely at advantageous rates, offering a lifeline to a Syrian economy that is still struggling after years of sanctions and war.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

The announcement comes after two groups of women and children arrived in Australia this month after spending years in the al-Roj camp in north-east Syria where families of IS fighters have been held since 2019.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

This week, 13 more IS-linked Australians -- four women and their nine children -- flew home from Syria.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

Judea served as a buffer between Egypt and Syria.

From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby