caliphate

noun

ca·​liph·​ate ˈkā-lə-ˌfāt How to pronounce caliphate (audio)
-fət,
ˈka-
: the office of a caliph or the land he rules over

Examples of caliphate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Its leaders seek to exploit the country’s sectarian and ideological divisions to recruit new fighters and rebuild their caliphate. Caroline Rose, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images An insurgency was launched by Boko Haram in 2009 to establish a caliphate in Nigeria and the broader Sahel (the semi-arid transitional zone between the Sahara and savannas), with several other terrorist groups also active in the region. Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025 Yazid’s rule marked the beginning of dynastic succession in the caliphate, a change many Shiites criticized as a departure from earlier Islamic principles of leadership. Massumeh H. Toosi, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2025 Sugar slowly made its way westwards and was brought into Europe by the Arab caliphates who ruled the southern parts of the continent from the eighth century onwards. Literary Hub, 29 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for caliphate

Word History

Etymology

see caliph

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of caliphate was in 1594

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Cite this Entry

“Caliphate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caliphate. Accessed 24 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

caliphate

noun
ca·​liph·​ate ˈkā-lə-ˌfāt How to pronounce caliphate (audio)
-fət;
ˈkal-ə-
: the office or dominion of a caliph

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