West Bank

/wɛst bæŋk/

proper noun

A Palestinian territory on the west bank of the Jordan river, claimed by and under the partial administration of the State of Palestine, and illegally occupied by Israel.

OriginArabic الضِّفَّة الْغَرْبِيَّة →
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Meanings

proper nounthe West Bank
  1. A Palestinian territory on the west bank of the Jordan river, claimed by and under the partial administration of the State of Palestine, and illegally occupied by Israel.

    Mr Shapiro also criticised the way Israel governs in the occupied lands, saying “too much Israeli vigilantism in the West Bank goes unchecked,” he said.

    2016 February 6, James Zogby, “Israel’s prickliness blocks the long quest for peace”, in The National, archived from the original on 22 May 2021, retrieved 08 Feb 2016
    2 more examples

    2014, Paul Salopek, Blessed. Cursed. Claimed., National Geographic (December 2014)https://web.archive.org/web/20150212214621/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/pilgrim-roads/salopek-text Smaller than Delaware, packed with 2.7 million people, the core of a proposed future Palestinian state, the occupied West Bank is partitioned by the Oslo Accords into zones of Palestinian and Israeli control.

    Prominent Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti told the BBC the closure was a "dangerous move" that meant "imprisoning" people in the West Bank and "depriving them from the only passage out".

    2025 September 25, Tom Bennett, “Palestinians in West Bank stranded as Israel shuts only international crossing”, in BBC, archived from the original on 03 Oct 2025
  2. New OrleansThe west bank of the Mississippi River within the vicinity of New Orleans; home to several distinct communities, including Algiers, the only neighborhood of New Orleans proper located west of the river. Contrasted with the East Bank.

Origin

  1. Arabicالضِّفَّة الْغَرْبِيَّة
  2. EnglishWest Bank

* (Sense 1) Calque of Arabic الضِّفَّة الْغَرْبِيَّة (aḍ-ḍiffa(t) al-ḡarbiyya, literally “the west bank”), so called due to its location relative to the Jordan River. * (Sense 2) From its location relative to the Mississippi River (and not New Orleans, which it is south of).

More words from Arabic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans Wesoewer
  • Wesoewerterritory
Arabic الضِّفَّة الْغَرْبِيَّة
  • الضِّفَّة الْغَرْبِيَّة (aḍ-ḍiffa l-ḡarbiyya)territory
Basque Zisjordania
  • Zisjordaniaterritory
Bengali পশ্চিম তীর
  • পশ্চিম তীর (pościm tir)territory
Bulgarian За́паден бряг
  • За́паден бряг (Západen brjag)territory
Catalan Cisjordània
  • Cisjordàniaterritory
Chinese Mandarin 約旦河西岸地區 /约旦河西岸地区, 西岸地區 /西岸地区
  • 約旦河西岸地區 /约旦河西岸地区 (Yuēdàn hé xī'àn dìqū)territory
  • 西岸地區 /西岸地区 (Xī'àn dìqū)territory
Czech Západní břeh Jordánu
  • Západní břeh Jordánuterritory
Danish Vestbredden
  • Vestbreddenterritory
Dutch Westelijke Jordaanoever
  • Westelijke Jordaanoeverterritory
Esperanto Cisjordanio
  • Cisjordanioterritory
Estonian Jordani Läänekallas
  • Jordani Läänekallasterritory
Finnish Länsiranta
  • Länsirantaterritory
French Cisjordanie
  • Cisjordanieterritory
German Westbank, Westjordanland
  • Westbankterritory
  • Westjordanlandterritory
  • Cisjordanienterritory
  • Zisjordanienterritory
  • Westjordanienterritory
Greek Δυτική Όχθη
  • Δυτική Όχθη (Dytikí Óchthi)territory
Hawaiian Kapa Komohana
  • Kapa Komohanaterritory
Hebrew הַגָּדָה הַמַּעֲרָבִית
  • הַגָּדָה הַמַּעֲרָבִית (ha-gadá ha-ma'aravít)territory
Hindi पश्चिमी तट
  • पश्चिमी तट (paścimī taṭ)territory
Hungarian Ciszjordánia
  • Ciszjordániaterritory
Icelandic Vesturbakkinn
  • Vesturbakkinnterritory
Indonesian Tepi Barat
  • Tepi Baratterritory
Irish Bruach Thiar
  • Bruach Thiarterritory
Italian Cisgiordania
  • Cisgiordaniaterritory
Japanese ヨルダン川西岸地区, 西岸地区
  • ヨルダン川西岸地区 (Yorudan gawa seigan chiku)territory
  • 西岸地区 (Seigan chiku)territory
Korean 요르단 강 서안 지구, 서안 지구
  • 요르단 강 서안 지구 (Yoreudan gang seoan jigu)territory
  • 서안 지구 (Seoan jigu)territory
Latin Cisiordania
  • Cisiordaniaterritory
Latvian Rietumkrasts
  • Rietumkraststerritory
Lithuanian Vakarų Krantas
  • Vakarų Krantasterritory
Malay Tebing Barat
  • Tebing Baratterritory
Māori Paretai Uru
  • Paretai Uruterritory
Norwegian Bokmål Vestbredden
  • Vestbreddenterritory
Polish Zachodni Brzeg, Zachodni Brzeg Jordanu
  • Zachodni Brzegterritory
  • Zachodni Brzeg Jordanuterritory
  • Cisjordaniaterritory
Portuguese Cisjordânia
  • Cisjordâniaterritory
Punjabi ਪੱਛਮੀ ਕੰਢਾ
  • ਪੱਛਮੀ ਕੰਢਾ (pacchamī kaṇḍhā)territory
Romanian Cisiordania
  • Cisiordaniaterritory
Russian За́падный бе́рег реки́ Иорда́н, За́падный бе́рег
  • За́падный бе́рег реки́ Иорда́н (Západnyj béreg rekí Iordán)territory
  • За́падный бе́рег (Západnyj béreg)territory
Slovak Západný breh Jordánu
  • Západný breh Jordánuterritory
Spanish Cisjordania
  • Cisjordaniaterritory
Swahili Ukingo wa Magharibi wa Yordani
  • Ukingo wa Magharibi wa Yordaniterritory
Swedish Västbanken
  • Västbankenterritory
Tagalog Kanlurang Pampang
  • Kanlurang Pampangterritory
Tamil மேற்குக் கரை
  • மேற்குக் கரை (mēṟkuk karai)territory
Thai เวสต์แบงก์
  • เวสต์แบงก์ (wéet-bɛ́ng)territory
Turkish Batı Şeria
  • Batı Şeriaterritory
Ukrainian За́хідний бе́рег ріки́ Йорда́н, За́хідний бе́рег
  • За́хідний бе́рег ріки́ Йорда́н (Záxidnyj béreh riký Jordán)territory
  • За́хідний бе́рег (Záxidnyj béreh)territory
  • Західний берег річки Йордан (Zaxidnyj bereh ričky Jordan)territory
Urdu مَغْرِبی کِنارَہ
  • مَغْرِبی کِنارَہ (maġribī kināra)territory
Vietnamese Bờ Tây, Tây Ngạn
  • Bờ Tâyterritory
  • Tây Ngạnterritory
Welsh y Lan Orllewinol
  • y Lan Orllewinolterritory
Yiddish מערבֿ־ברעג
  • מערבֿ־ברעג (mayrev-breg)territory
Cite this entry
APA

West Bank. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/West%20Bank

MLA

“West Bank.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/West%20Bank. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “West Bank,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/West%20Bank.

Source: West Bank on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.