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sheikhdom

sheikhdom

1 9.3
A country or area with a Muslim leader called a sheikh
  • noun
  • /ˈʃeɪkˌdʌm/
translation icon : jeque
  • The small sheikhdom has a rich cultural heritage that attracts many tourists each year.
  • sheikhdoms of the Gulf
  • lower Gulf sheikhdoms

Examples

  • Indeed, it is not surprising that foreign direct investment in Iran continues to lag behind that in other players in the region, such as Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and the Persian Gulf sheikhdoms.

    Academic text (2004)
  • The attempt to establish the Federation of the Arab Emirates (FAA) in 1971 was perhaps the most important effort to pool sovereignty among the sheikhdoms in order to achieve security objectives in the modern history of the region.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Around the time of independence, as today, some of the sheikhdoms of the lower Gulf considered Iran to be their chief rival.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Only the sheikhdoms of the Gulf remained under the control of such regimes.

    Academic text (1999)
  • House prices in the desert sheikhdom dropped by an extraordinary 40% in the first three months of 2009, outpacing falls anywhere else in the world after an investment bubble burst.

    Blog text (8)
  • Some of the lower Gulf sheikhdoms, in contrast, considered Iran to be an ally with whom their interests converged in the period surrounding their independence.

    Academic text (2013)
  • We begin this section by examining an early attempt at regional unity among the nine sheikhdoms that became Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Between 1820 and 1916, the United Kingdom established treaty relationships with the sheikhdoms of the lower Gulf to ensure regional stability and protect commerce with India.

    Academic text (2013)
  • The sheikhdoms of the region, however, had differing perceptions of the threat posed by Iran to the security of the ruling regimes.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Indeed, a U.S. National Intelligence Estimate published a few months before Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE became independent noted that despite the best efforts of the United Kingdom, "there is little prospect that British-sponsored efforts to organize a federation of these tiny sheikhdoms will come to fruition."

    Academic text (2013)

Synonyms

emirate
vssheikhdom
43 7.3

Country or region ruled by a single leader in some Muslim countries

is ruled by a leader holding a different traditional title
caliphate
vssheikhdom
26 9.5

A state or government ruled by a Muslim ruler

focuses on territory ruled by a local traditional leader rather than office authority
fiefdom
vssheikhdom
9 9.6

An area controlled by one person or group, like a private kingdom

refers to a sovereign territory under traditional rule, not just personal control
principality
vssheikhdom
7 7.4

A small country ruled by a prince

is ruled by a different traditional leader rather than hereditary sovereign
sheikdom
vssheikhdom
1 8.6

A country or region where a sheik rules

is the same meaning but uses the other spelling
sultanate
vssheikhdom
1 7.0

A country ruled by a sultan

is ruled by a leader with a different traditional title
princedom
vssheikhdom
1 8.9

A small country that a prince rules

focuses on territory as a sovereign state rather than rank or title

How Big

kingdom
276 2.0
state
3.2
sheikhdom
1 9.3
village
1.0

Surface Forms

sheikhdom singular
sheikhdoms plural

Morphology

sheikhdom = sheikh (transparent) = sheikh + dom

The meaning 'territory or domain' follows regularly from 'sheikh' + the productive English suffix '-dom' (as in 'kingdom').

Etymology

Sheikhdom comes from the Arabic word sheikh, meaning 'elder' or 'leader', and the English ending -dom, as in kingdom. So a sheikhdom is a territory or country 'ruled' by a sheikh.