Sicily
Americannoun
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an island in the Mediterranean, constituting a region of Italy, and separated from the SW tip of the mainland by the Strait of Messina: largest island in the Mediterranean. 9,924 sq. mi. (25,705 sq. km). Palermo.
noun
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Latin names: Sicilia. Trinacria. Italian name: Sicilia. the largest island in the Mediterranean, separated from the tip of SW Italy by the Strait of Messina: administratively an autonomous region of Italy; settled by Phoenicians, Greeks, and Carthaginians before the Roman conquest of 241 bc ; under Normans (12th–13th centuries); formed the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies with Naples in 1815; mountainous and volcanic. Capital: Palermo. Pop: 4 972 124 (2003 est). Area: 25 460 sq km (9830 sq miles)
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Island in southern Italy on the Mediterranean Sea, separated from the Italian mainland by the narrow Strait of Messina. Its capital is Palermo.
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It is the largest Mediterranean island.
Other Word Forms
- Sicilian adjective
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Once I was watching football and the other times I was taking a long train to Sicily," he said.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
She fled and founded Carthage around 814 B.C. on the North African coast opposite Sicily.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026
Amanda Dunbar has also built a following of about 130,000 on TikTok, where she posts videos of her experiences in Sicily, and helps others make the move—and buy houses—themselves.
From Slate • Feb. 1, 2026
Adventurous types can also look to Sicily for a rare experience -- the chance to ski down an active volcano.
From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026
The afflicted father flew safely to Sicily, where he was received kindly by the King.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.