Middle East

[ mid-l eest ]

noun

1. Also called Mideast. (loosely) the area from Libya east to Afghanistan, usually including Egypt, Sudan, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the other countries of Arabia.
2. (formerly) the area including Iran, Afghanistan, India, Tibet, and Myanmar (Burma).

Middle East

noun

1. (loosely) the area around the E Mediterranean, esp Israel and the Arab countries from Turkey to North Africa and eastwards to Iran
2. (formerly) the area extending from the Tigris and Euphrates to Myanmar

Middle East

1. Region in western Asia and northeast Africa that includes the nations on the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt (see also Egypt ), Iran , Iraq , Israel , Jordan , Lebanon , Syria , and Turkey .

Notes

As the site of such ancient civilizations as Phoenicia , Babylon (see also Babylon ), and Egypt, and the birthplace of Judaism , Christianity , and Islam , the Middle East is known as the cradle of Western civilization. The Greek Empire, Roman Empire , Persian Empire , and Ottoman Empire are among the great civilizations that developed and prospered in the Middle East.

A hotbed of religious and political strife ( see Arab-Israeli conflict and Persian Gulf War ), the Middle East attracted the attention of such powerful nations as Great Britain , the United States, and the Soviet Union eager to protect their strategic interests at the crossroads of Europe , Asia, and Africa, and their access to precious oil reserves.

Other Words From

• Middle Eastern adjective noun
• Middle Easterner noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Middle East¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

The Middle East is a vastly different place since Trump left office in 2021.

From Los Angeles Times

His diplomatic ineffectiveness has led some Middle East countries to find room for solace in a Trump Presidency 2.0.

From Los Angeles Times

The centerpiece of Trump’s foreign policy achievements in the Middle East is the Abraham Accords, the historic agreement he brokered in 2020 that established diplomatic relations between Israel and the Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan — without conditioning them on Palestinian statehood or Israeli concessions to the Palestinians.

From Los Angeles Times

Meanwhile, Trump has chosen hard-line pro-Israel figures to key diplomatic posts that would deal with the Middle East.

From Los Angeles Times

“But he doesn’t want to be the president who — after Iraq and Afghanistan — is the one who gets the U.S. involved in another land war in the Middle East with Iran.”

From Los Angeles Times