Mecca

[ mek-uh ]

/ ˈmɛk ə /

Save This Word!

noun

Also Mek·ka; Mak·kah

[mak-kuh, -kah] /ˈmæk kə, -kɑ/ . a city in and the capital of Hejaz, in westerm Saudi Arabia: birthplace of Muhammad; spiritual center of Islam.

(often lowercase) any place that many people visit or hope to visit: The president's birthplace is a mecca for his admirers.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

OTHER WORDS FROM Mecca

Meccan, adjective, noun

Words nearby Mecca

mebendazole, mebi-, mec, mecamylamine, mecate, Mecca, Mecca balsam, Meccano, mech., mechan-, mechanic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use Mecca in a sentence

She worked alongside many on campus organizations including Models of the Mecca and even went on to create her own collective called Edn Haus.
COVID-19 Continues to Disproportionately Affect Vulnerable University Students|Erica Blount|September 27, 2021|TruthBeTold.news
Mrs. Kouachi works at a nursery and has worn the veil since she made the pilgrimage to Mecca in 2008.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And an arrow painted on the ground that shows the way to Mecca, for prayers.
9/11 Mastermind Is Afraid of the Ladies|Tim Mak|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The city became a Mecca for hordes of hipsters and creative types as well as young people seeking their fortune in finance.
Eric Garner Was Just a Number to Them|Michael Daly|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The subject is, in fact, Jeff Froth from the rock group Mecca.
The Dark Rock Star Fantasy of Saint Laurent’s Hedi Slimane|Liza Foreman|September 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Since the 13th century, Sunni devotes have been traveling to Chinguetti on their way to Mecca.
The Lost Libraries of the Sahara‬|Nina Strochlic|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They boast of having descended from Abraham through Ishmael, believing that this patriarch built Mecca and died there.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 1 (of 10)|Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
Filled with gratitude, our hermit made a vow to undertake for the seventh time the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Superstition In All Ages (1732)|Jean Meslier
After marriage the family is united, and home, though it be in the top of a tenement, is the Mecca for children and grandchildren.
The Leaven in a Great City|Lillian William Betts
After us others also set free their people, and presently this part of Virginia was a sort of Mecca for escaped blacks.
The Way of a Man|Emerson Hough
Vultures and kites are common enough; and Haji Laqlaq the stork comes in regularly from his pilgrimage to Mecca in the spring.
The Cradle of Mankind|W.A. Wigram

British Dictionary definitions for Mecca

Mecca

Mekka

/ (ˈmɛkə) /

noun

a city in W Saudi Arabia, joint capital (with Riyadh) of Saudi Arabia: birthplace of Mohammed; the holiest city of Islam, containing the Kaaba. Pop: 1 529 000 (2005 est)Arabic name: Makkah

(sometimes not capital) a place that attracts many visitorsAthens is a Mecca for tourists

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

Cultural definitions for Mecca (1 of 2)

Mecca

The birthplace of Muhammad, and thus the holiest city for Muslims. Muslims face in the direction of Mecca when they pray, and they are expected to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lives. Mecca is in present-day Saudi Arabia.

notes for Mecca

Figuratively, a “mecca” is any place that attracts a great many people, especially for a particular reason: “Vail is a mecca for skiers.”

Cultural definitions for Mecca (2 of 2)

Mecca

City in western Saudi Arabia.

notes for Mecca

As the place where Mohammed the prophet was born in the sixth century, it is the holiest city of Islam and the destination of numerous Muslim pilgrims.

notes for Mecca

A “mecca” is a place that attracts people: “Hollywood is a mecca for would-be actors and actresses.”