Sahara

American  

[suh-har-uh, -hair-uh, -hahr-uh] / səˈhær ə, -ˈhɛər ə, -ˈhɑr ə /

noun

1. a desert in northern Africa, extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Nile valley. About 3,500,000 square miles (9,065,000 square kilometers).

2. any arid waste.

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Sahara British  

/ səˈhɑːrə /

noun

1. a desert in N Africa, extending from the Atlantic to the Red Sea and from the Mediterranean to central Mali, Niger, Chad, and the Sudan: the largest desert in the world, occupying over a quarter of Africa; rises to over 3300 m (11 000 ft) in the central mountain system of the Ahaggar and Tibesti massifs; large reserves of iron ore, oil, and natural gas. Area: 9 100 000 sq km (3 500 000 sq miles). Average annual rainfall: less than 254 mm (10 in.). Highest recorded temperature: 58°C (136.4°F)

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Sahara Cultural  

1. Desert in northern Africa.

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Discover More

At approximately 3.5 million square miles, it is the world's largest desert.

Other Word Forms

• Saharan
  adjective
• Saharian
  adjective
• trans-Sahara
  adjective
• trans-Saharan
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Sahara

From Arabic ṣaḥra (plural ṣaḥārā ) “desert”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Sahara

"In Western Sahara, displacement has persisted for more than half a century," the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih, himself a former refugee, told the UN Security Council.

From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026

Zuma undertook the trip as MK leader but was pictured in front of the South African flag when he met Morocco's foreign minister and brought up Western Sahara.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

A former Spanish colony, Western Sahara - which is considered a "non-self-governing territory" by the UN - has been fought over for five decades in one of Africa's longest conflicts.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

This happened in 2021, after Spain allowed a pro-independence leader from Western Sahara to get treatment in a Spanish hospital.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

The important cereal sorghum was domesticated in Africa’s Sahel zone, just south of the Sahara.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• wilderness