North Africa

American

[nawrth af-ri-kuh] / ˈnɔrθ ˈæf rɪ kə /

noun

the northern part of Africa, especially the region north of the tropical rainforest and comprised of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and that part of Egypt west of the Gulf of Suez.

North Africa British

noun

the part of Africa between the Mediterranean and the Sahara: consists chiefly of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and N Egypt

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

North African adjective

Etymology

Origin of North Africa

First recorded in 1840–45

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.

Middle East and North Africa GDP growth expectations were cut by two percentage points; IMF warns against price caps.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

His dual nationality and peripatetic, bi-cultural upbringing, combined with travel grants in 1927 and 1949 that took him all over Europe, Asia and North Africa, produced arguably the most cosmopolitan artist of his generation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Forecasts are also showing dust whipped up in North Africa could be transported high in the atmosphere across western Europe this week.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

He also launched campaigns in North Africa, part of a successful and unusual imperial visit to the region.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

The Quarter is not unlike, I would imagine, Soho and certain sections of North Africa.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023