shogunate

American  

[shoh-guh-nit, -neyt] / ˈʃoʊ gə nɪt, -ˌneɪt /

noun

1. the office or rule of a shogun.

2. a government controlled by shoguns.

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shogunate British  

/ ˈʃəʊɡʊnɪt, -ˌneɪt /

noun

1. Japanese history the office or rule of a shogun

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Etymology

Origin of shogunate

First recorded in 1870–75; shogun + -ate ³

Example Sentences

The last section covers the modern fantasies about samurai that developed at home and abroad after the bushi class’s abolishment, a result of Japan’s transition from shogunate rule to a Western-style constitutional monarchy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026

After the military shogunate system was overturned in the late 19th century, the house became the Yokois’ private residence and went through several renovations, according to Yokoi and her husband, Akira.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2023

The show’s story, adapted from a popular manga that also spawned several live-action series and movies in Japan, is framed as a historical record of how this alt-Japan and the shogunate came to be.

From New York Times • Aug. 14, 2023

When Tsuda arrived, Japan had recently emerged from a civil war that had seen the ruling shogunate fall to supporters of the emperor.

From Washington Post • Mar. 28, 2020

Another question raised on this occasion in Kyoto was the succession to the shogunate.

From A History of the Japanese People From the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era by Brinkley, F. (Frank)