Middle East

[mid-l eest]

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).

Middle East

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

Middle East

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.

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Middle East¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

India still has limited numbers of premium malls, most of which do not match what customers find in the Middle East, Europe, the United States or China.

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Drones are increasingly being used in conflicts from the Middle East, to Myanmar and Sudan.

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Central Command, which is responsible for the Middle East, said it was aware of the incident and actively monitoring developments.

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“The potential profitability of operating robotaxi services in Europe could be greater than in the Middle East or China, largely due to higher fare rates,” said Lee at BofA Global Research.

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Sales growth was in double digits in Europe, the Americas and the Middle East, while China, Hong Kong, Macau and Japan returned to growth.

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