mecca

noun

mec·​ca ˈme-kə 

often capitalized

: a place regarded as a center for a specified group, activity, or interest

a mecca for shoppers

Synonyms

• axis
• base
• capital
• center
• central
• core
• cynosure
• epicenter
• eye
• focus
• ground zero
• heart
• hub
• locus
• navel
• nerve center
• nexus
• nucleus
• omphalos
• seat

Examples of mecca in a Sentence

The valley is a mecca for wine lovers.

The town has become a mecca for tourists.

Recent Examples on the Web

The former garage is now considered the mecca of Milanese fashion. —Meredith Lepore, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2025

Critics of the loophole point to Walt Disney as among the first to take advantage of it decades ago when developing its tourist mecca of resorts and theme parks near Orlando. —Josh Salman, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2025

If all that is known downstairs is what makes millions call Zabar’s a food mecca, then the upstairs should now be known as a grandiose gallery of gadgets. —Kristin L. Wolfe, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

And, while Black Wall Street can attest to this, Miller discovered Black towns like Wilmington, North Carolina–that prospered greatly and were meccas. —Essence, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Mecca, Saudi Arabia, a destination of pilgrims in the Islamic world

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mecca

• caeca
• cheka
• decca
• theca
• areca
• azteca

Kids Definition

mecca

noun

mec·​ca ˈmek-ə 

often capitalized

: a place regarded as a center for a specified group, activity, or interest

a mecca for tourists

Etymology

named for Mecca, city in Arabia, the birthplace of Muhammad and the goal of Muslim pilgrimages

Geographical Definition

Mecca

geographical name

Mec·​ca ˈme-kə 

variants or Arabic Makkah

ˈmä-kə 

holy city in western Saudi Arabia population 1,294,106

Note: Mecca is the chief pilgrimage destination for Muslims and the capital of Hejaz.

Meccan

ˈme-kən 

adjective or noun