sultan
Americannoun
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the sovereign of an Islamic country.
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(often initial capital letter) any of the former sovereigns of Turkey.
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any absolute ruler or despot.
noun
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the sovereign of a Muslim country, esp of the former Ottoman Empire
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an arbitrary ruler; despot
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a small domestic fowl with a white crest and heavily feathered legs and feet: originated in Turkey
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sultan
1545–55; < Middle French < Turkish < Arabic sulṭān sovereign
Explanation
Use the noun sultan when you talk about the king of a Muslim country. It's most commonly used to refer to the sultans of Turkey's Ottoman Empire. There are some countries today that still use the term sultan for a ruler or nobleman, including Oman and Malaysia. However, the word comes up most often in a historical context, especially when you're talking about the former Ottoman Empire, where the title of sultan was inherited, passed from father to son. The word sultan has many different meanings in Arabic, including "strength," "ruler," "king," "queen," and "power."
Vocabulary lists containing sultan
English Words Derived from Arabic
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Southeast Asia - Introductory
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Southeast Asia - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
US forces returned to Saudi Arabia in 2019, following an agreement between Washington and Riyadh, with media reports at the time suggesting that hundreds would be hosted at Prince Sultan Air Base.
From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026
And Sultan sees growing adoption of the company’s Artifactory repository for software and code as something that can help the business going forward.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
Five more KC-135s were damaged during an Iranian missile strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
Radar sites were hit at Camp Arifjan, a US military facility in Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan Air Base, where US aircraft are located.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
Now they were all away fighting against the forces of Sultan Suleiman to the south.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
