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sultanate

sultanate

1 7.0
A country ruled by a sultan
  • noun
  • /ˈsʌltəˌneɪt/
translation icon : sultanato
  • The sultanate of Oman has a rich history and unique cultural heritage.
  • sultanate of Brunei
  • Mamluk sultanate

Examples

  • In 1929, this tiny sultanate was found to be literally floating over a sea of oil and natural gas, and today the Sultan of Brunei's $25 billion makes him the wealthiest man in the world.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Historically, the country's regions have experienced a diverse array of governments, which included Swahili city-states, an Omani sultanate based in Zanzibar, a European colonial administration, and an independence-era socialist government.

    Academic text (1998)
  • For more than 400 years, the area was an Islamic sultanate with deep cultural and trading ties to India and the Middle East.

    Blog text (4)
  • We had Oman, which is a sultanate in the Arabian Peninsula.

  • The first Malaysian sultanate arose in Melaka, which became the religious and economic center of the region.

    Academic text (1993)
  • While Muscat has long pursued a policy of friendship to all its neighbors, the Iran-Oman Parliamentary Friendship Group in the sultanate has become more active in recent years.

    Academic text (2008)
  • This oasis receives its water from aquifers in the foothills of the Hajar Mountains, which are primarily located in the sultanate of Oman.

    Academic text (1997)
  • The Middle Eastern sultanate of Oman has had a reputation for a long time as an isolated desert locale that held little appeal for even the most rugged independent traveler.

    Blog text (29)
  • This project is expected to tentatively involve the Southern Philippines, the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi and Maluku, the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the sultanate of Brunei.

    Academic text (1995)
  • In the past, the Malacca sultanate was an important trading hub in Southeast Asia.

Synonyms

kingdom
vssultanate
276 2.0

A country ruled by a king or queen

is the same sovereign state type but with a different traditional title
emirate
vssultanate
43 7.3

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

is the same kind of state but led under a different traditional title
caliphate
vssultanate
26 9.5

A state or government ruled by a Muslim ruler

is a political territory led by a secular sovereign rather than religious authority
sheikdom
vssultanate
1 8.6

A country or region where a sheik rules

means the same but follows a different common spelling
khanate
vssultanate
1 9.9

A territory ruled by a khan in Central Asia

is a comparable territorial rule but tied to other cultural origins
sheikhdom
vssultanate
1 9.3

A country or area with a Muslim leader called a sheikh

is similar but uses a different historic or regional ruler title
beylik
vssultanate
9.9

A small state in the past in the area of Turkey ruled by a local leader

is a similar small territorial rule but broader in general modern use

Compounds

A country in the Middle East on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula

How Big

empire
226 3.5
kingdom
276 2.0
sultanate
1 7.0
principality
7 7.4
city-state
8 5.1

Surface Forms

sultanate singular
sultanates plural

Morphology

sultanate = sultan (transparent) = sultan + ate

The word is formed by adding the noun-forming suffix '-ate' to 'sultan' to mean the territory or domain ruled by a sultan, a meaning that is directly inferable.

Etymology

Sultanate comes from sultan, an Arabic word meaning 'power' or 'ruler', and the ending -ate, which means 'the state of'. So a sultanate is literally the 'state ruled by a sultan', which is why it means a country or territory led by a sultan.