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

See Examples For:

Near East

The lure of foreign travel seduced him as well, for his sketching trips would eventually take him to the Andes as well as to Labrador, Jamaica and the Near East.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026

Holly Dagres, an Iran specialist at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank told the BBC that the use of children at security checkpoints "underscores the desperation of the Islamic Republic".

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 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

Matthew Levitt is a senior fellow and director of the program on counter-terrorism and intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 13, 2024

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