Middle East: Meaning and Definition of

Mid'dle East'

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. Also called(loosely) the area from Libya E to Afghanistan, usually including Egypt, Sudan, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the other countries of the Arabian peninsula.
  2. (formerly) the area including Iran, Afghanistan, India, Tibet, and Burma.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.