Word
caliphate
UK/kˈælɪfˌeɪt/
Definition
n. a state or area ruled by a leader called a caliph, who is considered a religious and political successor to the Prophet Muhammad.
n. the office or jurisdiction of a caliph, representing a system of Islamic governance that combines religious and political authority. Refers to both the historical empires and the abstract concept of a unified Islamic state.
Examples
“Historians study the rise and fall of the Abbasid caliphate.”
“The expansion of the early caliphate across the Middle East and North Africa significantly influenced global trade and culture.”
“Scholars often distinguish between the historical reality of the Umayyad caliphate and the idealized theological concepts of leadership that developed in later centuries.”
Examples
simple
“Historians study the rise and fall of the Abbasid caliphate.”
contextual
“The expansion of the early caliphate across the Middle East and North Africa significantly influenced global trade and culture.”
complex
“Scholars often distinguish between the historical reality of the Umayyad caliphate and the idealized theological concepts of leadership that developed in later centuries.”
Usage
Often capitalized when referring to a specific historical period or empire.
Real-World Examples
“If the metric of victory is measured by Bin Laden’s immediate, messianic desire to establish a global caliphate and expel all western presence from the Middle East, he evidently failed.” Etymology
From Medieval Latin calīphātus, equivalent to caliph + -ate.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.