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Palestine

American  
[pal-uh-stahyn, pal-uh-steen] / ˈpæl əˌstaɪn, ˈpæl əˌstin /

noun

  1. Biblical Name Canaan. Also called Holy Land. an ancient country in southwest Asia, on the east coast of the Mediterranean.

  2. a disputed region made up of parts of an ancient country in southwest Asia, especially the Gaza Strip and the West Bank: a British mandate from 1923 to 1948; divided between Israel, Jordan, and Egypt in 1948; Jordanian and Egyptian parts occupied by Israel in 1967, with limited Palestinian self-administration beginning in 1994.

  3. a city in eastern Texas.


Palestine British  
/ ˈpælɪˌstaɪn /

noun

  1. Also called: the Holy Land, Canaan. the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea in which most of the biblical narrative is located

  2. the province of the Roman Empire in this region

  3. the former British mandatory territory created by the League of Nations in 1922 (but effective from 1920), and including all of the present territories of Israel and Jordan between whom it was partitioned by the UN in 1948

"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

Palestine Cultural  
  1. Historic region on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, comprising parts of modern Israel, Jordan, and Egypt (see also Egypt).


Discover More

Known as the Holy Land, it is a place of pilgrimage for several religions, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

Israel, the homeland of the Jews (see also Jews), was established in Palestine in 1948. The Palestine Liberation Organization, under Yasir Arafat, is committed to establishing a Palestinian state, which would include territory on the West Bank and Gaza Strip now partially occupied by Israel. (See Arab-Israeli conflict , intifada , Oslo Accord , Palestinian Authority .)

Etymology

Origin of Palestine

First recorded in 1540–60; from Latin Pal(a)estīna, Palaestīnē, from Greek Palaistī́nē; perhaps through Aramaic pəlishtāʾin (plural) “Philistines,” from Hebrew pĕlishtīm; see philistine ( def. )


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.

See Examples For:

Even without joining the government, by assisting Eisenkot’s bloc to take power, Arab-led parties would have some leverage to steer policy, said Diana Buttu, a lawyer and former legal advisor to the Palestine Liberation Organization.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026

But another submission from a coalition of Jewish groups argued that Palestine Action was a "sinister" organisation intent on attacking its community interests.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

British police said Sunday they had arrested 325 people at a London protest in support of Palestine Action the previous day, ahead of a court appeal over the government's contentious ban of the group.

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026

Many of those arrested, including senior citizens and Holocaust survivors, have displayed signs at rallies reading: "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action."

From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026

He had become involved in Zionist activities and was always attending meetings where he spoke about the importance of Palestine as a Jewish homeland and raised money for the Jewish National Fund.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

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