Definition of MECCA

The Figurative Use of Mecca

Mecca is one of a number of place names which have taken on figurative meanings over time. This city in Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Muhammad and the site which Muslims must attempt to visit on a pilgrimage; from its role as a religious destination Mecca began to be used in the early 19th century (sometimes capitalized, and sometimes not) in a non-religious sense. Other locations (some of which are fictional) that have taken on this kind of extended meaning are Eden, Camelot, and Wall Street.

Examples of mecca in a Sentence

Noun

The valley is a mecca for wine lovers. The town has become a mecca for tourists.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Charlottesville has long outgrown its patrician Jeffersonian roots to become a mecca for artists and musicians, youthful retirees, and clean-cut techies. — James Loeffler, WSJ, "The Struggle for Charlottesville," 10 Aug. 2018 The railroad arrived in Broad Ripple in 1883 and the following year, Broad Ripple Park was established on the land along the river banks and quickly became a mecca for swimming, boating and fishing (but never on Sunday, mind you). — Dawn Mitchell, Indianapolis Star, "Broad Ripple Park: 'Nature’s Gift to the Amusement World'," 13 Apr. 2018 For one week each year, the clean beauty mecca is both covetable and affordable. — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, "Whole Foods' Annual Beauty Week Event Has Arrived and Every Product Is on Sale," 12 Mar. 2019 And because the restaurant calls a fashion mecca (with its very own zip code) home, designers were also accounted for. — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, "Bienvenue, L’Avenue! The Parisian Restaurant Lands at Saks With a Designer-Filled First Supper," 1 Feb. 2019 Fire Station #4: Columbus, Indiana (1968) One of the standouts in Indiana’s mecca of modernist architecture, this clean, simple brick building was meant to be a functional and inexpensive space. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Masterpieces of Robert Venturi, a postmodern architecture icon," 20 Sep. 2018 And some, like me, end up buying property here despite the fact that (or because) this globally renowned cultural mecca consists of a single stoplight, a few dusty streets, and a hodgepodge of mostly unassuming architecture. — Rima Suqi, ELLE Decor, "How an Abandoned Texas Home Is Restored Into an Ethereal Country Getaway," 20 Sep. 2018 Disney’s wage decisions have historically influenced other employers in the tourism mecca of Orlando where the industry is competing for workers in a time of low employment. — Mike Schneider, The Seattle Times, "Disney offers 46 percent raises, could use more part-timers," 27 Aug. 2018 The online shopping mecca plans to offer 7-foot Fraser firs shipped from a North Carolina farm for $115, according to their 2018 holiday lookbook. — Lindsey Murray, Good Housekeeping, "You Can Buy Your Real Christmas Tree From Amazon This Year," 12 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mecca.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.