Bethlehem

American  

[beth-li-hem, -lee-uhm] / ˈbɛθ lɪˌhɛm, -li əm /

noun

1. a town in NW Jordan, near Jerusalem; occupied by Israel since 1967: birthplace of Jesus and David.

2. a city in E Pennsylvania.

---

Bethlehem British  

/ ˈbɛθlɪˌhɛm, -lɪəm /

noun

1. a town in the West Bank, near Jerusalem: birthplace of Jesus and early home of King David

---

Bethlehem Cultural  

1. The village near Jerusalem (see also Jerusalem) where Jesus was born. (See Nativity.)

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Bethlehem

His father, who helped manage the new Burns Harbor plant for Bethlehem Steel, chose to move his family half an hour northeast along the dunes rather than west where more Black Midwesterners lived.

From Slate ● May 7, 2026

Battalions are gathered on the banks of Portland, Ore.; Bethlehem; Charlotte, N.C.;

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026

“My father was a steelworker at Bethlehem Steel. When he came out of high school, it was just about having a strong work ethic and a strong back,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026

But what's now in contention in Bethlehem is a tiny, narrow patch of ground on the Palestinian side of the wall.

From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2026

She could have stood upon those soles and walked all the way to Bethlehem.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez