Etymology

From , from from ; revived as a political territorial name in 1920 for the British Mandate.

Proper noun

1. The West Bank and Gaza Strip, taken collectively; that is, the parts occupied by Israel and those under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority.
2. The region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.
3. The Roman province Palestina.
4. A British colonial entity administering approximately the lands of modern State of Israel plus the West Bank and Gaza Strip; the lands administered by this entity.
5. The British League of Nations Mandate for Palestine, of which this region was a part (the remainder being Transjordan, which covered approximately the lands of the modern Kingdom (originally Emirate) of Jordan).

Usage notes

The use of the name to refer to the region between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea is sometimes seen as politically or emotionally charged; indeed, this is true of all terms for this region.