caliphate

or cal·if·ate, kal·i·fate, khal·i·fate

[ kal-uh-feyt, -fit, key-luh- ]

/ ˈkæl əˌfeɪt, -fɪt, ˈkeɪ lə- /

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noun

the rank, jurisdiction, or government of a caliph.

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Origin of caliphate

First recorded in 1725–35; caliph + -ate³

Words nearby caliphate

calipash, calipee, caliper, caliper rule, caliph, caliphate, calisaya, calisthenics, calix, Calixtine, Calixtus I

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use caliphate in a sentence

The goal was to sweep out dictators, which would then bring Islamist movements to power that would rule the Muslim world like the caliphate of old.
The Islamic world has changed over the past 20 years. The Taliban is about to feel it.|Fareed Zakaria|September 9, 2021|Washington Post
In 2014, when President Obama chose to stop ISIS in its tracks and then later roll back its caliphate, American allies in Iraq still controlled most of the nation.
American Leaders Made Defeat in Afghanistan Inevitable|David French|August 16, 2021|Time
Meanwhile, the influence of jihadist groups mushroomed in the chaos, with ISIS rising to control an area the size of Great Britain until the capital of its self-proclaimed caliphate fell in 2017.
Syrian Medics Lay Out the Devastating Scale of Attacks on Healthcare Facilities Over 10 Years of War|Joseph Hincks|March 3, 2021|Time
ISIS might have physically lost its so-called caliphate following a series of pre-pandemic military reverses, but the United Nations warns that the group still has 10,000 active fighters in Syria and Iraq and that it is regrouping.
Butterfly Effect: Pandemic Shrouds Terrorist Activities|Charu Kasturi|September 3, 2020|Ozy

The ISIS spokesman claims his so-called Caliphate is the victim of the West, not the other way round.
Lone Wolves, Terrorist Runts, and the Stray Dogs of ISIS|Jacob Siegel|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And these three particular teens also might have been encouraged to see a trip to the caliphate as a way to rebel.
How ISIS’s Colorado Girls Were Caught|Michael Daly|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Are we helping indirectly the militants to build their caliphate?
U.S. Humanitarian Aid Going to ISIS|Jamie Dettmer|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He now stands in the self-proclaimed caliphate, also holding a child as well as an automatic weapon.
ISIS Has a Bigger Coalition Than We Do|Michael Daly|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some time ago, I too left my comfortable life in Britain to export the idea of building a Khilafah [caliphate].
An Ex-Radical's Open Letter to ISIS Fighters: Quit Now While You Can!|Maajid Nawaz|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The very nature of their claims to the Caliphate made them more timid.
The Contemporary Review, January 1883|Various
They do not distinguish between the Caliphate and the Sultanat.
The Contemporary Review, January 1883|Various
The provinces on the Helmund and about Ghazni were invaded as early as the caliphate of Moaiya (662-680).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 8|Various
It was during Almamun's reign (813–833) that the Caliphate of the East flourished most luxuriantly.
History of the Jews, Vol. III (of 6)|Heinrich Graetz
The capital of the Caliphate had at this time a numerous Jewish community and several synagogues.
History of the Jews, Vol. III (of 6)|Heinrich Graetz

British Dictionary definitions for caliphate

caliphate

califate or kalifate

/ (ˈkeɪlɪˌfeɪt, -fɪt, ˈkæl-) /

noun

the office, jurisdiction, or reign of a caliph

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012