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

• center
• hub
• capital
• heart
• focus

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

Madison Avenue, a mecca for upscale designer boutiques and art galleries, is a five-minute walk. —Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025

Adapted from Lawrence Osborne’s novel, the film finds Lord Doyle adrift in the Eastern gambling mecca of Macau as his past and debts catch up with him. —Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025

His Austin comedy club, Comedy Mothership, has been touted as a free speech mecca where comics don’t have to worry about cancel culture. —James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2025

Ross, who’s busy trying to build West Palm Beach into a mecca, could have spoken up during the offseason when his friends assuredly told him that Miami’s cornerback group was delinquently inadequate. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 Sep. 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