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Sumer

American  
[soo-mer] / ˈsu mər /

noun

  1. an ancient region in southern Mesopotamia that contained a number of independent cities and city-states of which the first were established possibly as early as 5000 b.c.: conquered by the Elamites and, about 2000 b.c., by the Babylonians; a number of its cities, as Ur, Uruk, Kish, and Lagash, are major archaeological sites in southern Iraq.


Sumer British  
/ ˈsuːmə /

noun

  1. the S region of Babylonia; seat of a civilization of city-states that reached its height in the 3rd millennium bc

"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

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.

The researchers present a new paleoenvironmental model showing that tidal rhythms influenced the earliest stages of agriculture and social organization in Sumer.

From Science Daily • Oct. 27, 2025

"Our results show that Sumer was literally and culturally built on the rhythms of water," said Giosan.

From Science Daily • Oct. 27, 2025

During a visit, the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, said, “Chile can do greater things,” which made locals hopeful one day the Sumer Olympics could come to their city.

From Washington Times • Nov. 5, 2023

For example, beginning about 2112 BCE, all Sumer was again united under the Third Dynasty of Ur as the Guti were driven out.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

When the people of the Norte Chico were building these cities, there was only one other urban complex on earth: Sumer.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann