Palestine

American  

[pal-uh-stahyn, pal-uh-steen] / ˈpæl əˌstaɪn, ˈpæl əˌstin /

noun

1. Biblical Name Canaan.  Also called Holy Land.  an ancient country in southwest Asia, on the east coast of the Mediterranean.

2. a disputed region made up of parts of an ancient country in southwest Asia, especially the Gaza Strip and the West Bank: a British mandate from 1923 to 1948; divided between Israel, Jordan, and Egypt in 1948; Jordanian and Egyptian parts occupied by Israel in 1967, with limited Palestinian self-administration beginning in 1994.

3. a city in eastern Texas.

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Palestine British  

/ ˈpælɪˌstaɪn /

noun

1. Also called: the Holy Land.   Canaan.  the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea in which most of the biblical narrative is located

2. the province of the Roman Empire in this region

3. the former British mandatory territory created by the League of Nations in 1922 (but effective from 1920), and including all of the present territories of Israel and Jordan between whom it was partitioned by the UN in 1948

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Palestine Cultural  

1. Historic region on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, comprising parts of modern Israel, Jordan, and Egypt (see also Egypt).

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Known as the Holy Land, it is a place of pilgrimage for several religions, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

Israel, the homeland of the Jews (see also Jews), was established in Palestine in 1948. The Palestine Liberation Organization, under Yasir Arafat, is committed to establishing a Palestinian state, which would include territory on the West Bank and Gaza Strip now partially occupied by Israel. (See Arab-Israeli conflict , intifada , Oslo Accord , Palestinian Authority .)

Etymology

Origin of Palestine

First recorded in 1540–60; from Latin Pal(a)estīna, Palaestīnē, from Greek Palaistī́nē; perhaps through Aramaic pəlishtāʾin (plural) “Philistines,” from Hebrew pĕlishtīm; see philistine ( def. )

Example Sentences

He had made his debut in a World Cup qualifier in June 2024 against Bangladesh and became the second-youngest scorer in the country's history when he netted against Palestine in just his second appearance.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

Menon added that it would be "laughable" if any Palestine Action activist actually believed direct action would achieve the group's stated aim to "shut Elbit down".

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

Bourzgui, whose father immigrated to America from Morocco, went on to pay tribute to Palestine and his own Arab heritage.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

By 1900, Rothschild’s network of 21 settlements comprised more than 70% of Jewish-owned land in Palestine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

In a 1926 book called Life in Palestine When Jesus Lived, she read, “...the people were constantly at work...How many languages were spoken, what differences of color, look, habit, manner, dress, must have been seen!”

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye