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.
The American withdrawal from Iraq in 2011 created the vacuum into which Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi marched, declaring a caliphate and seizing territory the size of Britain. Aviva Klompas, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025 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 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 10 Oct. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on caliphate

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