protectorate

noun

pro·tec·tor·ate prə-ˈtek-t(ə-)rət

Synonyms of protectorate next

: government by a protector

capitalized : the government of England (1653–59) under the Cromwells

: the rank, office, or period of rule of a protector

: the relationship of superior authority assumed by one power or state over a dependent one

: the dependent political unit or territory in such a relationship

Examples of protectorate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Morocco was a French and Spanish protectorate from 1912 until its independence in 1956, and national leaders from both countries were among those to offer solidarity and help in the wake of the deadly earthquake that struck overnight. —

By joanna Sugden, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2023 Nearly half of the countries in Africa were at one time French colonies or protectorates. —

Elian Peltier, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2023 The map in McKinley’s grasp could be replaced by that of Guam, the Philippines, Hawaiʻi or even Cuba as a U.S. protectorate, and Oller’s metaphor still holds. —

Taína Caragol, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Aug. 2023 The al-Thani family was in charge of parts of Qatar since the 1800s and increased its power while the area was a British protectorate. —

Ruby Mellen, Washington Post, 4 May 2023 When Britain became a protectorate under Cromwell, England’s crown jewels dating to medieval times were melted down along with other royal regalia. —

Karla Adam, Washington Post, 5 July 2023 The saga of the bronzes predates Nigeria as well as the British protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria that preceded it; instead the area was a diverse tapestry of kingdoms and empires. —

Alex Marshall, New York Times, 4 June 2023 The Spanish administrators of the protectorate’s most successful soccer club decided to hold on to that, too. —

James Montague Samuel Aranda, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2023 Establishing Lviv, its airport (a can-fly zone) and suburbs as a NATO protectorate, governed by Ukrainians, would allow the city to serve as a habitat for Ukrainians wishing to stay, or a hub for handling the humanitarian crisis and whatever else Ukraine needs. —

Daniel Henninger, WSJ, 9 Mar. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'protectorate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.