Crete

American  

[kreet] / krit /

noun

1. Formerly Candia.  a Greek island in the Mediterranean, southeast of mainland Greece. 3,235 sq. mi. (8,380 sq. km). Canea.

2. Sea of Crete, a part of the south Aegean Sea lying between the Cyclades Islands and Crete.

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Crete British  

/ kriːt /

noun

1. Modern Greek name: Kríti.  a mountainous island in the E Mediterranean, the largest island of Greece: of archaeological importance for the ruins of Minoan civilization. Pop: 601 131 (2001). Area: 8331 sq km (3216 sq miles)

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Crete Cultural  

1. Island in southeastern Greece in the Mediterranean Sea.

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One of the world's earliest civilizations, the Minoan civilization, reached its peak in Crete in 1600 b.c.

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands.

In Greek mythology, Crete was Minos's kingdom, where the Minotaur lived at the center of the Labyrinth.

Example Sentences

It might just as well be written in Latin, or Linear A — the still-undeciphered language of ancient Crete — for all its relevance.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 2026

It might just as well be written in Latin, or Linear A — the still-undeciphered language of ancient Crete — for all its relevance.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 2026

A man has died near Athens as a storm hits parts of Greece with gale-force winds and flooding, while a Saharan dust storm enveloped the island of Crete.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

On the Greek island of Crete, Souda Bay isn’t only a vital deep-water port, it is also one of the few forward bases in the Mediterranean with secure communications that can launch U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Daedalus was the architect who had contrived the Labyrinth for the Minotaur in Crete, and who showed Ariadne how Theseus could escape from it.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton