Beirut

American  

[bey-root] / beɪˈrut /

Also Beyrouth

noun

1. a seaport in and the capital of Lebanon.

---

Beirut British  

/ ˌbeɪˈruːt /

noun

1. the capital of Lebanon, a port on the Mediterranean: part of the Ottoman Empire from the 16th century until 1918; many universities (including Lebanese, American, French, and Arab). Pop: 1 875 000 (2005 est)

---

Beirut Cultural  

1. Capital of Lebanon, located in western Lebanon on the Mediterranean Sea.

---

Discover More

Often called “the Paris of the Middle East,” the city was badly damaged during Lebanon's civil war in the 1970s and 1980s. It is now being rebuilt.

Compare meaning

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

• Beirut vs. beer pong

Example Sentences

Israeli strikes killed three people in Lebanon despite an ongoing 10-day ceasefire, Lebanese state media said, adding that Beirut would request an extension of the truce during upcoming talks with Israel in Washington.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Times staff writers Ana Ceballos in Washington and Nabih Bulos in Beirut contributed to this report.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

"There are surely planets out there. It's just that they are difficult to detect with current instruments," said co-author Jihad Touma, a physics professor at the American University of Beirut.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026

On the CBS Evening News, Connie Chung said that the attack “was similar to the World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and similar to attacks on U.S. forces in Beirut in the 1980s.”

From Slate • Apr. 19, 2026

The last of April, 1964, I flew to Beirut, the seaport capital of Lebanon.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey