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 Nashville metropolitan area has a population of about 2 million people and has long been a center for music and a mecca for tourism, but has also evolved into a tech hub and a magnet for world-class hotels and music streaming companies. —David Moin, WWD, 29 Jan. 2025

But how did stars such as A$AP Rocky and Pharrell stumble upon the store, especially given Tokyo is a mecca for vintage? —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 6 Feb. 2025

Meanwhile, Gunnison’s Hartman Rocks, one of the state’s most iconic mountain biking areas, is also a mecca for winter pedaling. —Shauna Farnell, The Denver Post, 29 Jan. 2025

Best After-Christmas Beauty Deals Amazon Amazon is known as a mecca of year-round deals, so of course there's a bounty of discounts to dive into at the mega-retailer. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 26 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

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