medina

noun

me·​di·​na mə-ˈdē-nə How to pronounce medina (audio)
: the non-European part of a northern African city

Examples of medina in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kaddour El Miny used to sell water to shoppers in the medina. — Houston Chronicle, 7 Apr. 2020 There are worse places to be lost than the old medina of Tunis, a dizzying labyrinth of ancient alleyways. — New York Times, 12 Jan. 2021 Located close to the Jemaa El Fna square, the property cocoons its guests in a medina within a medina. — Bianca Salonga, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025 Located in the middle of the old medina, Dar el Bacha was once a private palace, built by the Pasha of Marrakech in the 1910s. — Rachel King, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2020 See All Example Sentences for medina

Word History

Etymology

Arabic madīna city

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of medina was in 1906

Rhymes for medina

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Browse Nearby Words

medin
medina
Medina
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Cite this Entry

“Medina.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/medina. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Geographical Definition

Medina

geographical name

Me·​di·​na
1
mə-ˈdē-nə How to pronounce Medina (audio) or Arabic Al Madīnah
ˌäl-mä-ˈdē-nə How to pronounce Medina (audio)
city in western Saudi Arabia population 1,100,000

Note: Medina is the second most important holy city of Islam.

2
mə-ˈdī-nə How to pronounce Medina (audio) city in northern Ohio west-northwest of Akron population 26,678

More from Merriam-Webster on medina

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about medina

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