Middle East

American  

[mid-l eest] / ˈmɪd l ˈist /

noun

1. Also called Mideast.  (loosely) the area from Libya east to Afghanistan, usually including Egypt, Sudan, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the other countries of Arabia.

2. (formerly) the area including Iran, Afghanistan, India, Tibet, and Myanmar (Burma).

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Middle East British  

noun

1. (loosely) the area around the E Mediterranean, esp Israel and the Arab countries from Turkey to North Africa and eastwards to Iran

2. (formerly) the area extending from the Tigris and Euphrates to Myanmar

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Middle East Cultural  

1. Region in western Asia and northeast Africa that includes the nations on the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt (see also Egypt), Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey.

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Discover More

As the site of such ancient civilizations as Phoenicia, Babylon (see also Babylon), and Egypt, and the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the Middle East is known as the cradle of Western civilization. The Greek Empire, Roman Empire, Persian Empire, and Ottoman Empire are among the great civilizations that developed and prospered in the Middle East.

A hotbed of religious and political strife (see Arab-Israeli conflict and Persian Gulf War), the Middle East attracted the attention of such powerful nations as Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union eager to protect their strategic interests at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and their access to precious oil reserves.

Other Word Forms

• Middle Eastern adjective
• Middle Easterner noun

Etymology

Origin of Middle East

First recorded in 1875–80

Compare meaning

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

• Near East vs. Middle East

Example Sentences

Focus also remains on Middle East developments amid uncertainty over U.S.-Iran negotiations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

More recently, they have grappled with rising gas prices amid the war in the Middle East, which has driven some away from the ride-hailing business.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

This phenomenon is most evident on the African continent, where the number and weight of acts of terrorist violence have shifted from the Middle East and South Asia in recent years.

From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026

China, the world's largest importer of natural gas, is a major buyer from Russia and the Middle East, but seeks to diversify its energy sources.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

It turned out that 1–4 per cent of the unique human DNA of modern populations in the Middle East and Europe is Neanderthal DNA.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari