caliphate

American  

[kal-uh-feyt, -fit, key-luh-] / ˈkæl əˌfeɪt, -fɪt, ˈkeɪ lə- /

Or califate,

noun

1. the rank, jurisdiction, or government of a caliph.

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caliphate British  

/ -fɪt, ˈkeɪlɪˌfeɪt, ˈkæl- /

noun

1. the office, jurisdiction, or reign of a caliph

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Etymology

Origin of caliphate

First recorded in 1725–35; caliph + -ate ³

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."

Example Sentences

IS-K, the group which admitted the attack, is an offshoot of IS which seeks to establish a Muslim caliphate across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Iran.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

The caliphate was abolished soon after the birth of modern Turkey.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

Since the defeat of IS in Syria in 2019, this area has been a holding ground for the remnants of the group's so-called "caliphate".

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

He’s also joining a U.S. coalition against Islamic State, whose fighters are still active in Syria and would like to reconstitute its caliphate in the country.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025

“I am famous from the courts of Chang’an to the caliphate of Baghdad for my honesty. They speak of my bargains among the tongueless island tribes—they click about me, like you do, Rasseem.”

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri