as in territory
a small country that is controlled and protected by a larger one
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Recent Examples of protectorate
When sovereignty is confiscated and freedom administered from the outside, when the terms of liberation are dictated, the result is not a democratic transition but a protectorate dressed up in the language of damage control.
—
Boris Muñoz, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
Climate and soil conditions differ in each region, and each protectorate has its own indigenous crops.
—Literary Hub, 7 Jan. 2026
The city’s exotic mix of Arab, Berber, African, and European cultures—Morocco was a French protectorate from 1912 to 1956, and French is still widely spoken—gives it a unique feel that’s typified by the ambience of the quietly opulent La Mamounia hotel.
—Angus MacKenzie, Robb Report, 31 Dec. 2025
The former British protectorate hopes that recognition by Israel will encourage other nations to follow suit, increasing its diplomatic heft and access to international markets.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for protectorate
Boris Muñoz, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
Climate and soil conditions differ in each region, and each protectorate has its own indigenous crops.
—Literary Hub, 7 Jan. 2026
The city’s exotic mix of Arab, Berber, African, and European cultures—Morocco was a French protectorate from 1912 to 1956, and French is still widely spoken—gives it a unique feel that’s typified by the ambience of the quietly opulent La Mamounia hotel.
—Angus MacKenzie, Robb Report, 31 Dec. 2025
The former British protectorate hopes that recognition by Israel will encourage other nations to follow suit, increasing its diplomatic heft and access to international markets.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for protectorate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protectorate
Noun
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If so, those same Gulf officials may welcome the recent arrival of the US Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division — a move that could presage an assault on Iranian territory.—
Dominic Dudley,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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Metro Phoenix is also home to the largest autonomous ride-hail territory courtesy of Waymo.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In the claim, Nancy Lemus' attorneys alleged that Eklund and Osborn failed to follow departmental and legal mandates for handling explosives.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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This law, presented in the name of anti-discrimination, threatens to do exactly that against private religious institutions that do not comply with state mandates or rules that would conflict with a private religious institution’s beliefs and views.—
Stephen Mitchell,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The new framework removes these dependencies by learning from non-visual sensor data.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Marijuana dependency linked to lung cancer in alarming new study findings.—
,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Protectorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protectorate. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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