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 Easterner
  noun
• Middle Eastern
  adjective

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

See Examples For:

Middle East

Investors are closely watching developments in the Middle East, oil prices and bond yields.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

U.S. bombers have used Fairford base to fly sorties in the Middle East conflict.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

“Structural issues remain, but if there is any sort of resolution in the Middle East it’s also the group that likely rebounds the hardest,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi called at the UN Saturday for "self-restraint" from all sides in the Middle East war, while stressing that Muscat was ready to mediate.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

Homo sapiens reached the Middle East around 70,000 years ago.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari