Middle East

[ mid-l eest ]

/ ˈmɪd l ˈist /

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noun

Also called Mideast. (loosely) the area from Libya east to Afghanistan, usually including Egypt, Sudan, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the other countries of Arabia.

(formerly) the area including Iran, Afghanistan, India, Tibet, and Myanmar (Burma).

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Origin of Middle East

First recorded in 1875–80

OTHER WORDS FROM Middle East

Middle Eastern, adjective, nounMiddle Easterner, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH Middle East

Far East, Middle East , Near East

Words nearby Middle East

middle common room, Middle Congo, middle distance, Middle Dutch, middle ear, Middle East, Middle Eastern, middle eight, Middle England, Middle English, middle finger

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Middle East in a sentence

While in government, my daily preoccupations were with blood-drenched rivalries in the Balkans, Caucasus, Africa, and Middle East.
Madeleine Albright: 'Us vs. Them' Thinking Is Tearing America Apart. But Here's Why I'm Still Hopeful About the Future|Madeleine Albright|January 15, 2021|Time
Integrating Bahrain more fully into the economies of the broader Middle East is, therefore, a necessity that we expect will pay dividends for our future generations.
Why now was the right time for Bahrain to normalize relations with Israel|jakemeth|October 30, 2020|Fortune
And, more broadly, regional politics in the greater Middle East have changed dramatically in recent years.
The US just brokered another peace deal for Israel, this time with Sudan|Alex Ward|October 23, 2020|Vox
They went on to become involved in activism around reproductive rights, Middle East peace, and environmental justice during their college years at North Carolina State University and the College of William and Mary.
Non-binary candidate looks to fill Falls Church City Council seat|Steph Purifoy|October 6, 2020|Washington Blade

After decades of being mainly focused on serving Middle East clients, the acquisition of DPO Group allows Network International boost its Africa operations.
An Africa-focused payments provider has been acquired for $288 million|Yomi Kazeem|July 29, 2020|Quartz
According to Pew, 14 of the 20 countries in the Middle East and North Africa have blasphemy laws.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Sales are best in Asia, London, the Middle East, and Russia.
Handbags: The More You Pay, The Smaller They Shrink|Elizabeth Landers|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many more illegal migrants face labor trafficking in Europe as they flee the conflict regions of North Africa and the Middle East.
ISIS, Boko Haram, and the Growing Role of Human Trafficking in 21st Century Terrorism|Louise I. Shelley|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But still the Middle East conflict does cause tension between many in these two communities.
Muslims & Jews Unite vs. Abercrombie & Fitch|Dean Obeidallah|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yes, that was a while ago, but in the Middle East, after all, 45 years is no time at all.
The Strange Case of the Christian Zionist Terrorist|Creede Newton|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You could not wish to purchase freedom in India at the price of enslavement in the middle East.
Freedom's Battle|Mahatma Gandhi
Jewish servicemen were barred from certain Middle East countries.
Integration of the Armed Forces, 1940-1965|Morris J. MacGregor, Jr.
The field covered is thus virtually the entire Near and Middle East.
The New World of Islam|Lothrop Stoddard
They want to kill Americans, kill democracy in the Middle East, and gain the weapons to kill on an even more horrific scale.
State of the Union Addresses of George W. Bush|George W. Bush
A free Iraq will show millions across the Middle East that a future of liberty is possible.
State of the Union Addresses of George W. Bush|George W. Bush

British Dictionary definitions for Middle East

Middle East

noun

(loosely) the area around the E Mediterranean, esp Israel and the Arab countries from Turkey to North Africa and eastwards to Iran

(formerly) the area extending from the Tigris and Euphrates to Myanmar

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 Middle East

Middle East

Region in western Asia and northeast Africa that includes the nations on the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt (see also Egypt), Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey.

notes for Middle East

As the site of such ancient civilizations as Phoenicia, Babylon (see also Babylon), and Egypt, and the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the Middle East is known as the cradle of Western civilization. The Greek Empire, Roman Empire, Persian Empire, and Ottoman Empire are among the great civilizations that developed and prospered in the Middle East.

notes for Middle East

A hotbed of religious and political strife (see Arab-Israeli conflict and Persian Gulf War), the Middle East attracted the attention of such powerful nations as Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union eager to protect their strategic interests at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and their access to precious oil reserves.