caliph

American  

[key-lif, kal-if] / ˈkeɪ lɪf, ˈkæl ɪf /

Also kalif, or calif

noun

1. a spiritual leader of Islam, claiming succession from Muhammad.

2. any of the former Muslim rulers of Baghdad (until 1258) and of the Ottoman Empire (from 1571 until 1924).

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caliph British  

/ ˈkæl-, ˈkeɪlɪf /

noun

1. Islam the title of the successors of Mohammed as rulers of the Islamic world, later assumed by the Sultans of Turkey

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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”

Explanation

A caliph is a religious and civil leader in a Muslim country. If you become a diplomat in the Middle East, you might have many discussions with caliphs. Caliph comes from the Arabic word khalafa, meaning "successor" or "next in line." It was taken as a title by Abu-bekr, the first Islamic leader after the death of Mohammed, the prophet who founded the religion of Islam. All great Islamic leaders take the title caliph. Because caliph is an Anglicized version of an Arabic word, from a different alphabet, there are many spelling variations including calif, kalif, kaliph, khalif, and khalifah.

Example Sentences

Or one could argue the opposite: The presence of a unifying caliph might have, as it had for centuries, moderated the expansion of marginal extremist movements such as Wahhabism or, in our time, Islamic State.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

It started out as a rebranded faction of Al Qaeda, under the leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, an Iraqi militant cleric and insurgent leader turned self-styled caliph.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2025

It is named after Omar, Islam's second caliph.

From BBC • Dec. 8, 2023

Over the weekend, Serigne Mountakha Mbacke, caliph of the Mouride brotherhood, Senegal’s most influential religious order, called on people in the city of Touba, the brotherhood’s headquarters, to stop demonstrating and return home.

From Washington Times • Jun. 5, 2023

The Seljukian Turks, first the mercenaries and then the masters of the caliph, had given new life to the decadent caliphate of Bagdad.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 7 "Crocoite" to "Cuba" by Various

Related Words

• czar
• emperor
• king
• monarch
• shah
• sultan