caliphate
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of caliphate
Explanation
Historically, a caliphate was an area where religious Muslims lived under the leadership of a caliph, who was considered to be a successor to Muhammad, Islam's prophet and founder. A caliphate is a kind of state, but because it's based on religion, it's not bound by the international laws that govern nation-states. The earliest caliphates were formed after Muhammad's death in 632, as a way to continue his teachings. The last political caliphate, in the Ottoman Empire, ended in 1923. In more recent times, the extremist militants known as ISIL have declared themselves to be a caliphate. The word is rooted in the Arabic khalifa, "successor."
Vocabulary lists containing caliphate
This Week in Words: January 12 - 18, 2019
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Medieval Europe - 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.
With roots stretching back a century, the festival formally began in 1934 as a way to cement peace between two previously warring sides - the Kebbi Kingdom, and the Sokoto Caliphate.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
Jihadists have for 16 years been waging an insurrection in the northeast with the aim of establishing a Caliphate.
From Barron's • Nov. 21, 2025
Guest: Colin P. Clarke, Director of Research at The Soufan Group, a nonprofit research group focusing on global security, author of “After the Caliphate: The Islamic State and the Future Terrorist Diaspora.”
From Slate • Jan. 6, 2025
Eugene, you see, was born during the 10th century reign of Abd al-Rahman III in the Caliphate of Córdoba.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 9, 2023
Bagdad which for ages had successfully defied the invading, crusading armies of Europe, was destroyed, and an end put to the Caliphate so long enthroned within its historic walls.
From Ancient Chinese account of the Grand Canyon, or course of the Colorado by McAllan, Alexander
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.
