mecca

noun, often capitalized mec·ca \ ˈme-kə \

|Updated on: 9 Jun 2018

Examples: mecca in a Sentence

Editor's Note: The Figurative Use of Mecca

Definition of mecca

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

a mecca for shoppers

See mecca defined for English-language learners

See mecca defined for kids

Examples of mecca in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of mecca from the Web

More: One Airbnb host's fight with this tourist mecca is nearing $1M in fines More: Book an online vacation rental?

— jefferson graham, USA TODAY, "Airbnb's growth curbed by by safety concerns, competition: researcher," 6 June 2018
Union has long been a mecca for anyone who wants to stay on the cutting edge of style.

— samuel hine, GQ, "Here’s Your Exclusive First Look at Dickies’ Next Big Fashion Collab," 30 May 2018
Perfumania: Save on all kinds of fragrances, scented body washes, and lotions at this olfactory mecca.

— rachel jacoby zoldan, Glamour, "The Best Memorial Day 2018 Beauty Sales to Shop This Weekend," 23 May 2018
On a business trip to Spain, a young New York worker bee cuts loose at the electronic music mecca.

— kevin crust, latimes.com, "L.A. movie openings, May 25," 20 May 2018
And its Diamond Distillery is a mecca for rum geeks.

— kate krader, chicagotribune.com, "These Caribbean rum distilleries are worth a vacation in themselves," 14 May 2018
The Margaret River region is a tourism mecca known for its vineyards, its natural beauty and its laid-back, friendly attitude.

— New York Times, "Mass Shooting in Australia Leaves a Tiny Community in Shock and Grief," 12 May 2018
Try the Chardonnay Clos D’Opleeuw at the intimate bar Belgian Wines, which supplies top restaurants, like the fine-dining mecca The Jane, in the Green Quarter, where reservations are required (and must be booked three months ahead).

— clodagh kinsella, Condé Nast Traveler, "Northern Belgium Is Our New Favorite Food and Design Destination," 8 May 2018
In Silicon Valley, for example -- the Californian tech mecca that was once an out-of-town hub -- workers there are increasingly moving towards the center of nearby San Francisco.

— andrea lo, CNN, "Why is Sydney being split into three cities?," 12 Apr. 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.

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.