Middle East

American  

[mid-l eest] / ˈmɪd l ˈist /

noun

1. 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.

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

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Middle East British  

noun

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

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

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Middle East Cultural  

1. 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.

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Discover More

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.

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.

Other Word Forms

• Middle Eastern adjective
• Middle Easterner noun

Etymology

Origin of Middle East

First recorded in 1875–80

Compare meaning

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

• Near East vs. Middle East

Example Sentences

“These social changes exist in a legal gray area,” said Andrew Leber, an assistant professor at Tulane University and a nonresident fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Middle East program.

From The Wall Street Journal

Hamish Falconer, the Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East, told us that people could expect to hear more from the UK government in the coming days.

From BBC

One-third of U.S. troops based in Europe are in Germany, including at the vast Ramstein Air Base, the hub for most U.S. military operations in the Middle East and Africa.

From The Wall Street Journal

—Oil prices were headed for weekly losses on expectations of rising global supply and easing fears of imminent disruptions in the Middle East.

From The Wall Street Journal

Oil prices were higher, but headed for weekly losses on expectations of rising global supply and easing fears of imminent disruptions in the Middle East.

From The Wall Street Journal