Mesopotamia

American  

[mes-uh-puh-tey-mee-uh] / ˌmɛs ə pəˈteɪ mi ə /

noun

1. an ancient region in W Asia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers: now part of Iraq.

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Mesopotamia British  

/ ˌmɛsəpəˈteɪmɪə /

noun

1. a region of SW Asia between the lower and middle reaches of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers: site of several ancient civilizations

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Mesopotamia Cultural  

1. A region of western Asia, in what is now Iraq, known as the “cradle of civilization.” Western writing first developed there, done with sticks on clay tablets. Agricultural organization on a large scale also began in Mesopotamia, along with work in bronze and iron (see Bronze Age and Iron Age). Governmental systems in the region were especially advanced (see Babylon (see also Babylon) and Hammurabi). A number of peoples lived in Mesopotamia, including the Sumerians, Akkadians, Hittites, and Assyrians.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Mesopotamian
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Mesopotamia

Latin from Greek mesopotamia ( khora ) (the land) between rivers

Example Sentences

Previously, the first known dice dated back to the Bronze Age about 5,500 years ago, in such places as Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley of Asia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Traditionally historians date the first written words to proto-cuneiform scripts made around 5,000 years ago in ancient Iraq, or Mesopotamia.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

It is not until the sixth century B.C., when Achaemenid Persians conquered Mesopotamia and much of the Eastern Mediterranean, that dimly perceptible Carthaginians come into view.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

A newly published study is reshaping how scientists understand the rise of urban civilization in ancient Mesopotamia.

From Science Daily • Oct. 27, 2025

A decade after Mohammed’s death in 632, his followers had captured Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife