Tibet

American  

[ti-bet] / tɪˈbɛt /

noun

1. (Older Spelling) Sitsang.  (Pinyin) Xizang.  Official Name Tibet Autonomous Region.  an administrative division of China, north of the Himalayas: prior to 1950 a theocracy under the Dalai Lama; the highest country in the world, average elevation about 16,000 feet (4,877 meters). 471,660 square miles (1,221,599 square kilometers). Lhasa. Also Thibet

2. Also called Roof of the World.  Also called Tibetan Highlands,.  Plateau of Tibet, a vast plateau in southern central Asia bounded by the Tarim and Qaidam basin deserts to the north and the Himalayan, Karakoram, and Pamir mountain ranges to the south and west: highest plateau in the world, averaging about 15,000 feet (4,570 meters). 850,000 square miles (2,200,000 square kilometers).

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Tibet British  

/ tɪˈbɛt /

noun

1. Chinese names: Xizang Autonomous Region.   Sitsang.  an autonomous region of SW China; formerly a theocracy and the centre of Lamaism: Europeans strictly excluded in the 19th century; invaded by China in 1950; rebellion (1959) against Chinese rule suppressed and the Dalai Lama fled to India; military rule imposed (1989–90) after continued demands for independence; consists largely of a vast high plateau between the Himalayas and Kunlun Mountains. Capital: Lhasa. Pop: 2 700 000 (2003 est). Area: 1 221 601 sq km (471 660 sq miles)

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Tibet Cultural  

1. Region in southwestern China, bordered by Burma to the southeast; India, Bhutan, and Nepal to the south; India to the west; and Chinese provinces to the north and east. Located in the Himalayas.

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Discover More

The Dalai Lama, religious and civil leader of Tibet, was forced into exile in 1959, when the Chinese annexed the country.

Other Word Forms

• Tibetan
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Tibet

First recorded in 1740–50; from New Latin Tibetum, Thibetum; further origin uncertain

Example Sentences

The peak can be tackled from both Nepal and the northern face in Tibet, but Chinese authorities have closed the latter route this year.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

As for the more traditional living spaces, every inch was carefully considered and conceived with great attention to detail, from the “gourmet kitchen” to the great room, which features a stone fireplace sourced from Tibet.

From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026

Most Everest ascents are from Nepal rather than via the easier route from Tibet.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

Xi also attended celebrations for major anniversaries of Beijing’s system of granting nominal political autonomy to Tibet and Xinjiang, becoming the first paramount leader to do so.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

I cut around the back of another hump and saw that the ridge ahead dropped away and we could see far into Tibet.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer