mesa

noun

me·​sa ˈmā-sə 

: an isolated relatively flat-topped natural elevation usually more extensive than a butte and less extensive than a plateau

also : a broad terrace with an abrupt slope on one side : bench

Synonyms

• plateau
• highland
• tableland

Examples of mesa in a Sentence

a mesa in the Arizona desert

Recent Examples on the Web

Scenic drive through Monument Valley Located in northern Arizona, Monument Valley is a collection of crimson and orange mesas and sandstone buttes maintained by Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation. —Olivia Rose, AZCentral.com, 18 Aug. 2025

Less than an hour later, Adams and Bailey were leading us all across a mesa top to witness the moment that sunlight hit Fajada Butte. —Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025

The park’s trails lead across red rock cliffs, piñon-juniper woodlands, and high-desert mesas with panoramic views in every direction that glow gold and orange at sunrise or sunset. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025

Scans of the long, flat mesa on the property suggest that there’s an immense, unknown, fragmented thing inside. —Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 30 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, literally, table, from Latin mensa

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

mesa

noun

me·​sa ˈmā-sə 

: a flat-topped hill or small plateau with steep sides

Etymology

Spanish, literally, "table"

Geographical Definition

Mesa

geographical name

Me·​sa ˈmā-sə 

city east of Phoenix in southwest central Arizona population 439,041