Mediterranean

American  

[med-i-tuh-ray-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

• non-Mediterranean
  noun
• trans-Mediterranean
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of Mediterranean

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Mediterranean

Several towns along the Mediterranean coast were cut off by floodwaters, while helicopters were deployed to rescue people stranded on rooftops.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Nasser said Aramco currently has three main export routes through the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and Sidi Kerir on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

In March, French newspaper Le Monde was able to locate the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in almost real time in the eastern Mediterranean, thanks to a sailor on board using the app.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

The Mediterranean Revival-style estate, which sits on 2.76 acres in the Beverly Hills Post Office area, offers an enormous 16,079 square feet of living space, along with eight bedrooms and more than 10 bathrooms.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

One advantage of the Fertile Crescent is that it lies within a zone of so-called Mediterranean climate, a climate characterized by mild, wet winters and long, hot, dry summers.

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

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