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).

---

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

---

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.

---

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

Her uncle, Rodel Hipolito, who was attending the festival for the first time since ending a 15-year stint working in the Middle East, told AFP "lanterns are symbols that light up people's lives".

From Barron's

Disney has already indicated it plans to grow in the Middle East.

From Los Angeles Times

From a regional standpoint, North America and Europe, Middle East, and Africa led the revenue improvement, up 9% and 3%, respectively, from a year ago.

From Barron's

Between 2017 and 2024, they have conducted roughly 100 joint military exercises in an expanding area that includes Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Arctic and Africa.

From The Wall Street Journal

Both auction houses also plan to keep expanding into the Middle East and seek out the Indian diaspora, as those collectors have been buying more lately.

From The Wall Street Journal