Middle East
Americannoun
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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.
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(formerly) the area including Iran, Afghanistan, India, Tibet, and Myanmar (Burma).
noun
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(loosely) the area around the E Mediterranean, esp Israel and the Arab countries from Turkey to North Africa and eastwards to Iran
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(formerly) the area extending from the Tigris and Euphrates to Myanmar
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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.
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Etymology
Origin of Middle East
First recorded in 1875–80
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Asian stocks enjoyed a partial rebound from the previous day's rout as investors returned to the AI trade, while easing Middle East tensions also provided support and pushed oil prices down.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
Chinese exports surged by almost a fifth last month, official data showed Tuesday, as shipments of tech components and machinery helped the world's second-largest economy weather pressure from the Middle East war.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
Huang and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin discussed a concrete road map to jointly enter AI markets in Europe and the Middle East as well as the Asia-Pacific region.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
As risky as that approach may be, it would represent a significant shift in how the Islamic Republic sees both its security and its place in the Middle East.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Because Adam had lived in the Middle East, Acosta was "forced” to conclude "that the men of the Indies traveled there from Europe or Asia.”
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
