Greece

American  

[grees] / gris /

noun

1. Ancient Greek Hellas.  Modern Greek Ellas.  a republic in southern Europe at the south end of the Balkan Peninsula. 50,147 sq. mi. (129,880 sq. km). Athens.

2. a city in western New York State, a suburb of Rochester on the south shore of Lake Ontario.

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Greece British  

/ ɡriːs /

noun

1. Modern Greek name: Ellás.  a republic in SE Europe, occupying the S part of the Balkan Peninsula and many islands in the Ionian and Aegean Seas; site of two of Europe's earliest civilizations (the Minoan and Mycenaean); in the classical era divided into many small independent city-states, the most important being Athens and Sparta; part of the Roman and Byzantine Empires; passed under Turkish rule in the late Middle Ages; became an independent kingdom in 1827; taken over by a military junta (1967–74); the monarchy was abolished in 1973; became a republic in 1975; a member of the European Union. Official language: Greek. Official religion: Eastern (Greek) Orthodox. Currency: euro. Capital: Athens. Pop: 10 772 967 (2013 est). Area: 131 944 sq km (50 944 sq miles)

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Greece Cultural  

1. Republic in southeastern Europe on the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Athens (see also Athens).

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Discover More

Greece is a member of NATO.

It is known for its production of grapes, olives, and olive oil.

Ancient Greek culture, particularly as developed in Athens, was the principal source of Western civilization.

Tension and fighting between Greece and Turkey has continued for hundreds of years.

Compare meaning

How does greece compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Macedonia vs. Greece

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Greece

Drought and heat waves made much of Europe a tinderbox this summer, with wildfires raging across parts of Spain, France and Greece.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

A local TV segment triggered a wave of domestic attention, drawing new customers from all over Greece.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

Tired of the overcrowded beaches of Italy, Greece, and Spain, savvy developers are looking for new stretches of the coastline and have landed on Albania.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

In attack, Christos Tzolis' impact since arriving from Club Brugge in a deal worth about £35m means the Greece international has been heralded as one of the discoveries of the summer.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

Magic, so powerful in the world before and after Greece, is almost nonexistent.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton