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Definition of libya
libya
/ˈlɪb.i.ə/
Lib · y · a
Plural:Libyas
•Adjective:Libyan
libya Lexical Profile
CEFR
B1
Grade
6
Tier
2
Usage
Top 10k
• noun
1
A country located in the Maghreb region of North Africa, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and featuring vast expanses of the Sahara Desert across its interior.
Example
"The extensive oil reserves discovered in Libya transformed its economy during the late twentieth century."
• Rhymes for libya
Word Origin & Etymology
From Latin 'Libya', derived from Ancient Greek 'Libyē' (Λιβύη), which originally referred to all of North Africa west of Egypt. The Greek term comes from the Egyptian word 'R'bw' (Libu), the name of an ancient Berber tribe.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Libya. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/libya