Greece

American  

[grees] / gris /

noun

1. Ancient Greek Hellas.  Modern Greek Ellas.  a republic in southern Europe at the south end of the Balkan Peninsula. 50,147 sq. mi. (129,880 sq. km). Athens.

2. a city in western New York State, a suburb of Rochester on the south shore of Lake Ontario.

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Greece British  

/ ɡriːs /

noun

1. Modern Greek name: Ellás.  a republic in SE Europe, occupying the S part of the Balkan Peninsula and many islands in the Ionian and Aegean Seas; site of two of Europe's earliest civilizations (the Minoan and Mycenaean); in the classical era divided into many small independent city-states, the most important being Athens and Sparta; part of the Roman and Byzantine Empires; passed under Turkish rule in the late Middle Ages; became an independent kingdom in 1827; taken over by a military junta (1967–74); the monarchy was abolished in 1973; became a republic in 1975; a member of the European Union. Official language: Greek. Official religion: Eastern (Greek) Orthodox. Currency: euro. Capital: Athens. Pop: 10 772 967 (2013 est). Area: 131 944 sq km (50 944 sq miles)

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Greece Cultural  

1. Republic in southeastern Europe on the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Athens (see also Athens).

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Discover More

Greece is a member of NATO.

It is known for its production of grapes, olives, and olive oil.

Ancient Greek culture, particularly as developed in Athens, was the principal source of Western civilization.

Tension and fighting between Greece and Turkey has continued for hundreds of years.

Compare meaning

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

• Macedonia vs. Greece

Example Sentences

Greece is pressing for greater development of natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean.

From Salon • May 21, 2026

Her rise has come at the expense of Greece, Israel, Denmark and France, which have slipped in the rankings of bookmakers.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

A number of intesive care patients have reported experiencing vivid dreams while in a coma and studies in Greece and Australia have explored this phenomenon.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

The family always gets a free upgrade and a welcome gift, and on a more-recent trip to Greece, “people kept showing up with signs with our names on it,” Riggs says.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

Herodotus says that he introduced the alphabet into Greece.

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