palestine

palestine — noun

1. a region in Western Asia along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, lying

1.noun
Definition

a region in Western Asia along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, lying between the Jordan River and the sea, and including the modern areas often called the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Example

Maya wrote a school report on the geography and history of Palestine.

proper noun used without an article

Many ancient trade routes once passed through Palestine on the way to Egypt.

preposition pattern: through + Palestine

Common collocations
  • ancient Palestine
  • historical Palestine
  • the people of Palestine
  • travel to Palestine
Synonyms
  • the Holy Land

    religious or historical framing, especially in Christian, Jewish, or Muslim contexts

  • the Palestinian territories

    modern political term covering the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

  • the Levant

    broader regional label that also includes Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan

Grammar Patterns

proper noun (no article)

Usage Note

Always capitalised and used without an article (say 'in Palestine', not 'in the Palestine'). The same name is used both for the historical region and, in many contexts, for the modern Palestinian territories.

Common Mistakes

She has visited the Palestine twice.
She has visited Palestine twice.
proper place names take no definite article.
He studies palestine history at university.
He studies Palestinian history at university.
use the adjective 'Palestinian' before another noun, and always capitalise the place name.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four labels can point to the same strip of land along the eastern Mediterranean, but they highlight different angles. 'Palestine' is the neutral geographical and historical name for the region between the Jordan River and the sea. 'The Holy Land' is a religious or literary framing used in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim writing about sites such as Jerusalem and Bethlehem. 'The Palestinian territories' is a modern political term that refers more narrowly to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. 'The Levant' is a wider regional label that also takes in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. So a tour guide might speak of 'sites in the Holy Land', a news report of 'aid to the Palestinian territories', and a history book of 'ancient trade across the Levant', while a geography textbook simply says 'Palestine'.

Palestine ↗the Holy Landthe Palestinian territoriesthe Levant

Common collocations

Nouns

  • the people of Palestine
  • the history of Palestine
  • the map of Palestine

Phrases

  • ancient Palestine
  • historical Palestine
  • modern Palestine

Prepositions

  • in Palestine
  • from Palestine
  • across Palestine
  • through Palestine

Etymology

SemiticGreekLatinOld FrenchEnglish

The English name comes from Latin 'Palaestina', borrowed from Greek 'Palaistinē', which itself goes back to a Semitic root linked to the Philistines, an ancient people who lived along the southern coast. Roman writers used 'Palaestina' as the official label for the province after the second century, and the form passed through Old French into English, where it has named the same region ever since.