The occurrence of cyclones with tropical-like characteristics in the Mediterranean has long been known. However, the term “medicane” (Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone) has been used inconsistently in the scientific literature, causing confusion both in the scientific community and in meteorological services. To address this ambiguity, some scientists have proposed a phenomenological definition based exclusively on remote sensing observations, yet consistent with a structural definition based on numerical data. The definition, coordinated by researchers at CNR-ISAC, was published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-24-0289.1) and has now been accepted into the American Meteorological Society glossary, thus becoming a reference for those working in the field of meteorology: https://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Medicane. This work was made possible thanks to some important international projects, in which CNR-ISAC played a key role, such as the COST action “Medcyclones” (https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA19109/) and the ESA-funded project “Earth Observations as a cornerstone to the understanding and prediction of tropical-like cyclone risk in the Mediterranean (MEDICANES)”.