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sultan

n.
US //ˈsəɫtən// UK //sˈʌltən// sul·tan
  1. 1 a ruler (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the king or ruler of a Muslim country.

    a sovereign or ruler of a Muslim state, historically associated with the Ottoman Empire and currently used in nations like Brunei and Oman.

    Example

    The sultan lived in a beautiful palace in the center of the city.

    Example

    The sultan issued a royal decree that reformed the nation's land ownership laws to encourage foreign investment.
  2. 2 historical office (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    a powerful leader in history who held political power in a large empire.

    a historical title for a secular ruler who exercised authority over a territory, often formally subordinate to a caliph but holding actual political power.

    Example

    Historians study how the sultan managed his vast empire during the Middle Ages.

    Example

    While the caliph remained the spiritual figurehead, the sultan exercised absolute administrative and military control over the province.
    • potentate
  3. 3 ornamental chicken (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical

    a type of decorative chicken that originally came from Turkey.

    a specific breed of crested chicken originating in Turkey, primarily kept for ornamental purposes in gardens.

    Example

    The farmer kept a few sultans because of their unique white feathers.

    Example

    The Sultan breed is easily identified by its heavy feathering, five toes, and large globular crest.

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French sultan or Medieval Latin sultanus, from Ottoman Turkish سلطان (sultan), from Arabic سُلْطَان (sulṭān, “strength, authority, ruler”). Compare Hebrew שִׁלְטוֹן (shiltón) and סוּלְטָן (sultán). Doublet of soldan.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026