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Beirut

American  
[bay-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)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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In Beirut, whose history spans over 5,000 years, Laure Salloum oversees archaeological excavations in the chaotic modern city.

From Barron's ● Aug. 29, 2026

Special correspondent Shbeir reported from Deir al Balah and Times staff writer Bulos from Beirut.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

After protracted talks the bird was taken to a wildlife centre in Beirut, Lebanon, where he recuperated for more than half a year before his repatriation on a Serbian military plane.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

He was 11 when his family fled his native Beirut in 1975, at the outbreak of civil war.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

Mohammed wasn’t even twenty, and he’d won a race starting in Saida and ending in Beirut, a distance of twenty-six miles.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

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