Near East

American  

[neer eest] / ˈnɪər ˈist /

noun

1. an indefinite geographical or regional term, usually referring to the countries of southwestern Asia, including Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia and the other nations of Arabia.

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Near East British  

noun

1. another term for the Middle East

2. (formerly) the Balkan States and the area of the Ottoman Empire

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Near East Cultural  

1. A region in western Asia and northeastern Africa, often considered the same as the Middle East.

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Other Word Forms

• Near Eastern
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Near East

First recorded in 1855–60

Compare meaning

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

• Near East vs. Middle East

Example Sentences

"But we have been here before, and we've seen negotiations collapse at the last minute for a variety of reasons," added Rumley, now a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

Patrick Clawson, director of the Iran program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said that Mojtaba Khamenei’s position on the nuclear program has been a stubborn mystery.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

Michael Singh, managing director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said that US and Israeli goals were mostly similar -- but not identical.

From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026

“A significant portion of those missiles can reach their target,” said Farzin Nadimi, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

The oil deserts of the Near East, the opening lands of South America have felt the thrust.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck