caliph
Americannoun
-
a spiritual leader of Islam, claiming succession from Muhammad.
-
any of the former Muslim rulers of Baghdad (until 1258) and of the Ottoman Empire (from 1571 until 1924).
noun
Other Word Forms
- caliphal adjective
Etymology
Origin of caliph
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English caliphe, califfe, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin calipha, from Arabic khalīf(a) “successor (of Muhammad),” derivative of khalafa “succeed”
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.
The late Abbasid caliphs militarized their economy in an effort to wrest control from the dominant merchants.
He never asserted a hereditary claim to the grand title of caliph.
From New York Times
The museum’s first exhibition since reopening in October after a major overhaul, “Baghdad: Eye’s Delight” charts the city’s heritage from the Abbasid caliphs from the seventh to twelfth centuries to today.
From New York Times
“I imagine myself cooking for modern day caliphs,” he said, then named one.
From New York Times
The years passed before al-Muʿtaṣim became caliph, the sting of that lost competition remained.
From Salon
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.
