Mediterranean

American  

[med-i-tuh-rey-nee-uhn] / ˌmɛd ɪ təˈreɪ ni ən /

noun

1. Mediterranean Sea.

2. a person whose physical characteristics are considered typical of the peoples native to or inhabiting the Mediterranean area.

3. Informal. the, the islands and countries of the Mediterranean Sea collectively.

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adjective

1. pertaining to, situated on or near, or dwelling about the Mediterranean Sea.

2. pertaining to or characteristic of the peoples native to the lands along or near the Mediterranean Sea.

3. surrounded or nearly surrounded by land.

Mediterranean British  

/ ˌmɛdɪtəˈreɪnɪən /

noun

1. short for the Mediterranean Sea

2. a native or inhabitant of a Mediterranean country

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adjective

1. of, relating to, situated or dwelling on or near the Mediterranean Sea

2. denoting a postulated subdivision of the Caucasoid race, characterized by slender build and dark complexion

3. meteorol (of a climate) characterized by hot summers and relatively warm winters when most of the annual rainfall occurs

4. obsolete (often not capital) situated in the middle of a landmass; inland

Other Word Forms

• non-Mediterranean
  noun
• trans-Mediterranean
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Mediterranean

1585–95; < Latin mediterrāne ( us ) midland, inland ( see medium, terra, -an, -eous) + -an

Example Sentences

It has recently been in the eastern Mediterranean as part of the UK's defensive operations there.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

The EU's border agency, Frontex, has also reported an increase in sea arrivals across a number of Mediterranean countries by migrants from the same four African countries.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

But in early March, it was redirected to the eastern Mediterranean to defend French interests and allied countries struck by Iran's retaliation for Israeli‑American attacks.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

The company explained that the factors that hurt demand for Mediterranean cruises mainly affect the second and third quarters, when those cruises see the most deployments.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

Yet those other Mediterranean zones not only failed to rival the Fertile Crescent as early sites of food production; they never gave rise to indigenous agriculture at all.

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