protectorate

noun pro·tec·tor·ate \ -ˈtek-t(ə-)rət \

Definition of protectorate

1 a :government by a protector

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

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

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

b :the dependent political unit or territory in such a relationship

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Recent Examples of protectorate from the Web

The oil was discovered in the 1950s, when the seven former British protectorates that now make up the Emirates were inhabited mainly by nomadic Bedouin tribes and the economy ran on fishing, date farming and camel herding.

— ann m. simmons, The Seattle Times, "UAE, home of tallest building, looks to new heights — Mars," 2 June 2017
The oil was discovered in the 1950s, when the seven former British protectorates that now make up the Emirates were inhabited mainly by nomadic Bedouin tribes and the economy ran on fishing, date-farming and camel-herding.

— ann m. simmons, latimes.com, "It has the world's tallest building, biggest shopping mall and largest man-made island. Now this desert emirate wants to colonize Mars," 31 May 2017
In 1919, while Morocco was still a French protectorate, management of the land was transferred to the ministry from the tribal authorities, with the idea of discouraging migration from rural areas to the cities.

— aida alami, New York Times, "In a Fight for Land, a Women’s Movement Shakes Morocco," 7 May 2017
The Brits, meanwhile, have an interest in keeping the peace, since Bechuanaland is a British protectorate and South Africa is helping England with its postwar debt.

— stephanie merry, The Denver Post, "A true love story gets mired in global politics in “A United Kingdom”," 22 Feb. 2017
And the problem for Attlee’s government is that Bechuanaland, a British protectorate, abuts South Africa, which is setting up the gruesome machinery of apartheid.

— anthony lane, The New Yorker, "“A United Kingdom” and “Land of Mine”," 13 Feb. 2017
The moves suddenly transformed Western Sahara, a former Spanish protectorate riven by a war for independence after it was seized by Morocco in 1975, from a sensitive, percolating issue into something more pressing.

— rick gladstone, New York Times, "Morocco Orders U.N. to Cut Staff in Disputed Western Sahara Territory," 17 Mar. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'protectorate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.