# mecca

/ˈmɛkə/ (US) · /mˈɛkɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mecca
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. the holy city

noun · CEFR B1

the holiest city in the religion of Islam, located in Saudi Arabia.

For teachers: the city in Saudi Arabia that is the birthplace of Muhammad and the holiest city in Islam, to which Muslims make a pilgrimage.

- Every year, millions of people travel to Mecca for the religious pilgrimage known as the Hajj.
- As the spiritual centre of the Islamic world, Mecca requires significant infrastructure to accommodate the millions of pilgrims who arrive annually for the Hajj.

## Examples

- The city is a mecca for food lovers.
- During the summer months, the coastal town becomes a mecca for surfers looking for the perfect wave.
- Silicon Valley remains a global mecca for software engineers, attracting the most ambitious minds in the industry with the promise of venture capital and high-stakes innovation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.