protectorate
n.a country or area that is controlled by a more powerful country. The powerful country usually provides protection and help, but it also makes the decisions for the smaller area.
n.a territory or state that is under the partial or complete political control of another sovereign power. Often implies a relationship of protection and dependency rather than full annexation.
“The small island was a protectorate of the larger empire.”
“Historians often debate whether the protectorate was a genuine partnership or a form of colonial control.”
“The transition from a protectorate to a fully independent nation required significant legal reforms to ensure the new government could manage its own affairs without external interference.”
“Francisco Rodríguez wrote that Washington’s actions in Venezuela had turned the country into “a protectorate in all but name”.”
From protector + -ate (forms nouns denoting rank or office, a system ruled by people of such office).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.