Mecca
Americannoun
-
Also Mekka; Makkah a city in and the capital of Hejaz, in western 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.
noun
-
Arabic name: Makkah. 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)
-
(sometimes not capital) a place that attracts many visitors
Athens is a Mecca for tourists
Discover More
Figuratively, a “mecca” is any place that attracts a great many people, especially for a particular reason: “Vail is a mecca for skiers.”
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.
A “mecca” is a place that attracts people: “Hollywood is a mecca for would-be actors and actresses.”
Other Word Forms
Explanation
A mecca is a place that attracts people to it. The huge outlet mall near your hometown is a mecca for shoppers and bargain hunters. When it's capitalized, Mecca is the holiest city for Muslims, the place where Muhammad was born. Observant Muslims believe it's important to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at some point in their lives. Because this city near the Red Sea draws so many visitors every year, the word mecca gradually came to mean "place where people really want to go." So you might describe Las Vegas as a mecca for gamblers and Cirque du Soleil fans. The original Arabic word is Makkah.
Vocabulary lists containing mecca
Pride
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Some Places More Than Others
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Slay
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
After this ceremony, the pilgrims return to Mecca for a last circumambulation of the Kaaba, the cuboid building at the heart of the Grand Mosque towards which Muslims turn when they pray.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Central to Eid al-Adha celebrations, which mark the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, is the sacrificing of a sheep.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
From dawn, crowds of pilgrims gathered in the valley of Mina, southeast of the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, to throw pebbles at concrete pillars symbolising the devil.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Artificial intelligence has been deployed to help monitor the footage from thousands of cameras in and around the holy city of Mecca.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
And, in turn, I took away with me—forever—a part of Mecca.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
