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 ( medium, terra, -an, -eous ) + -an

Example Sentences

The country's only international passenger facility, whose departure boards are now largely red with cancellations, is located on the Mediterranean coast at the edge of Beirut's southern suburbs.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

Women generally had lower BMI, followed the Mediterranean diet more closely, and were less likely to drink alcohol.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026

Greece, along with Italy, receives a large number of undocumented migrants via the Mediterranean, often from nearby Turkey and northern Africa.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

Many rooms on bigger Mediterranean ships, including sailings from Princess Cruises, Holland America and Cunard, with routes that cross the path of totality’s southern tip, are still up for grabs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

And a British battleship shelled and destroyed a Turkish fort guarding the Dardanelles, the narrow sea channel leading from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea and Russia beyond.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman