Middle East

proper noun

The geopolitical region at the intersection of Asia, Africa and Europe, comprising West Asia excluding the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey.

Similar
Mideast
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Meanings

proper nounthe Middle East
  1. geopoliticsThe geopolitical region at the intersection of Asia, Africa and Europe, comprising West Asia excluding the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey.

    The expected announcement is tied to his trip to the Middle East next week, where he’ll visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the officials said.

    2025 May 7, Alayna Treene, “Trump planning to change how US refers to Persian Gulf”, in CNN, archived from the original on 21 Jul 2025
  2. datedgeopoliticsThe region between the Near East and the Far East.

    Well, what may happen in the Middle East? I agree there are uncertainties, but when he was condemning the policy of the Government with regard to the Turkish peace, had he thought for a moment of the financial effect of the policy which he advocated?

    1920 April 21, House of Commons, quoting Austen Chamberlain, “Budget proposals, Committee of Ways and Means”, in The Parliamentary Debates, volume 128, page 455

    Synonyms: Mideast

Synonyms & antonyms

proper nounThe region between the Near East and the Far East.

Similar
Mideast
Also see
mideast

Origin

From middle + East formed in English, modeled on Far East and Near East. First use appears c. 1876.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans Midde-Ooste
  • Midde-Oosteregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Arabic الشَّرْق الْأَوْسَط, مَشْرِق
  • الشَّرْق الْأَوْسَط (aš-šarq al-ʔawsaṭ)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
  • مَشْرِق (mašriq)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Bengali মধ্যপ্রাচ্য
  • মধ্যপ্রাচ্য (moddhopracco)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Bulgarian Бли́зък И́зток
  • Бли́зък И́зток (Blízăk Íztok)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Catalan Orient Mitjà
  • Orient Mitjàregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Chinese Cantonese 中東 /中东
  • 中東 /中东region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Chinese Mandarin 中東 /中东
  • 中東 /中东 (Zhōngdōng)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Czech Blízký východ, Střední východ
  • Blízký východregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
  • Střední východregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Danish Mellemøsten
  • Mellemøstenregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Dutch Midden-Oosten
  • Midden-Oostenregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Esperanto Mezoriento, Meza Oriento
  • Mezorientoregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
  • Meza Orientoregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Estonian Lähis-Ida
  • Lähis-Idaregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Finnish Lähi-itä
  • Lähi-itäregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
French Moyen-Orient
  • Moyen-Orientregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
German Naher Osten, Mittlerer Osten
  • Naher Ostenregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
  • Mittlerer Ostenregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Greek Μέση Ανατολή
  • Μέση Ανατολή (Mési Anatolí)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Hebrew הַמִּזְרָח הַתִּיכוֹן
  • הַמִּזְרָח הַתִּיכוֹן (ha-mizrákh ha-tikhón)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Hindi मध्य पूर्व, मध्यपूर्व
  • मध्य पूर्व (madhya pūrv)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
  • मध्यपूर्व (madhyapūrv)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Hungarian Közel-Kelet
  • Közel-Keletregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Icelandic Mið-Austurlönd
  • Mið-Austurlöndregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Indonesian Timur Tengah
  • Timur Tengahregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Irish an Meánoirthear
  • an Meánoirthearregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Italian Medio Oriente
  • Medio Orienteregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Japanese 中東
  • 中東 (Chūtō)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Korean 중동
  • 중동 (Jungdong)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Latin Oriens Medius, Medius Oriens
  • Oriens Mediusregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
  • Medius Oriensregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Latvian Tuvie Austrumi
  • Tuvie Austrumiregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Lithuanian Viduriniai Rytai
  • Viduriniai Rytairegion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Malay Timur Tengah
  • Timur Tengahregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Māori Rāwhiti Waenga
  • Rāwhiti Waengaregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Norwegian Bokmål Midtøsten
  • Midtøstenregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Polish Bliski Wschód, Środkowy Wschód
  • Bliski Wschódregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
  • Środkowy Wschódregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Portuguese Oriente Médio, Médio Oriente
  • Oriente Médioregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
  • Médio Orienteregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Romanian Orientul Mijlociu
  • Orientul Mijlociuregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Russian Сре́дний Восто́к, Бли́жний Восто́к
  • Сре́дний Восто́к (Srédnij Vostók)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
  • Бли́жний Восто́к (Blížnij Vostók)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Scottish Gaelic an Ear Mheadhan
  • an Ear Mheadhanregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Slovak Blízky východ, Stredný východ
  • Blízky východregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
  • Stredný východregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Spanish Oriente Medio, Medio Oriente
  • Oriente Medioregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
  • Medio Orienteregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Swedish Mellanöstern
  • Mellanösternregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Tagalog Gitnang Silangan
  • Gitnang Silanganregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Thai ตะวันออกกลาง
  • ตะวันออกกลาง (dtà-wan-ɔ̀ɔk-glaang)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Turkish Orta Doğu
  • Orta Doğuregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Ukrainian Сере́дній Схід, Бли́зький Схід
  • Сере́дній Схід (Serédnij Sxid)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
  • Бли́зький Схід (Blýzʹkyj Sxid)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Urdu مَشْرِقِ وُسْطیٰ
  • مَشْرِقِ وُسْطیٰ (maśriq-i vustā)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Vietnamese Trung Đông
  • Trung Đôngregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Welsh Dwyrain Canol
  • Dwyrain Canolregion comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Yiddish מיטעלער מיזרח, מיטל מזרח
  • מיטעלער מיזרח (miteler mizrekh)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
  • מיטל מזרח (mitl mizrekh)region comprising Western Asia without the South Caucasus and additionally including all of Egypt and all of Turkey
Cite this entry
APA

Middle East. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Middle%20East

MLA

“Middle East.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Middle%20East. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Middle East,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Middle%20East.

Source: Middle East on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.