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Synonyms

protectorate

American  
[pruh-tek-ter-it] / prəˈtɛk tər ɪt /

noun

  1. the relation of a strong state toward a weaker state or territory that it protects and partly controls.

  2. a state or territory so protected.

  3. the office or position, or the term of office, of a protector.

  4. the government of a protector.

  5. (initial capital letter) the period (1653–59) during which Oliver and Richard Cromwell held the title of Lord Protector, sometimes extended to include the period of the restoration of the Rump Parliament (1659–60).

protectorate British  
/ prəˈtɛktərɪt /

noun

    1. a territory largely controlled by but not annexed to a stronger state

    2. the relation of a protecting state to its protected territory

  2. the office or period of office of a protector

"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
protectorate Cultural  

  1. A relationship between a strong sovereign nation and a weak nation or area not recognized as a nation. Once the strong nation has established a protectorate over a weak nation, it can control the latter's affairs.

Etymology

Origin of protectorate

First recorded in 1685–95; protector + -ate 3

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.

Britain's former protectorate was named the "Pearl of Africa" in the early 20th century by the future British prime minister Winston Churchill.

From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026

It was a British protectorate - known as British Somaliland - until it merged with Italian Somaliland in 1960 to form the Somali Republic.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

One more reason to which he alludes: The Jewish state serves as the protectorate of several historical and biblical Christian sites that millions of pilgrims visit each year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025

“We are neither a protectorate nor a colony of any foreign nation.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2025

Rumor has it that the Resistance fighters have been getting bolder, recruiting not just Scholars, but Mariners, from the free country of Marinn, to the north, and Tribesmen, whose desert-territory is an Empire protectorate.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

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.