Syria

The word “Syria” means a country in West Asia, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, with its capital at Damascus. In plain terms, a country in the Middle East, and also the name of the wider historical region it takes its name from.

“Syria” is pronounced SIH-ree-uh (/ˈsɪɹi.ə/ in IPA).

Here is “Syria” used in a sentence: “Millions of people were displaced by the war in Syria.”

“Syria” is a name.

The word “Syria” comes from Ancient Greek. From Latin Syria, from Ancient Greek Suria, likely a shortened form of "Assyria," though the two names came to refer to different regions over time.

“Syria” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Syria” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a country in West Asia, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, with its capital at Damascus.

Syria is in West Asia, at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, Israel and Lebanon to the southwest, with a coastline on the Mediterranean. It sits within the region historically known as the Levant.

The capital of Syria is Damascus, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It has served as a major cultural, political, and religious centre for thousands of years and remains the seat of the Syrian government and the country's largest political hub.

Syria's official name is the Syrian Arab Republic. "Syria" is the common short form used in everyday speech and on maps, while the full official title appears in formal, diplomatic, and legal contexts. The country lies in West Asia with Damascus as its capital.