protectorate

noun

Definition of protectoratenext
as in territory
a small country that is controlled and protected by a larger one

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of protectorate With very few exceptions, an end was declared, not only to empires, but also to city-states, duchies, principalities, emirates, sultanates, caliphates, khanates, agencies, princely states, colonies, suzerains, dependencies, mandates, tributaries, condominia and protectorates. — Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 The island had been a protectorate of the United States since the end of the Spanish-American War in 1898. — USA Today, 6 May 2026 After the British protectorate ended in 1971, these states came together to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). — Anatol Lieven, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2026 The British went on to claim regions of the coast and declare them as protectorates. — Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for protectorate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protectorate
  1. territory
  2. mandate
  3. dependency
Noun
  • Asian markets were trading mixed on Tuesday, with South Korea's Kospi in positive territory, but Hong Kong and mainland Chinese markets down.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Some 4,000 troops from states and territories across the country are now deployed to the capital, down from a summer surge for America's 250th anniversary that pushed the force to roughly 5,000.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of territory
Noun
  • Will blue state legislators and governors protect them from its attempt at more governmental control over institutions, while red state policy makers embrace its far-reaching restrictions and mandates?
    — Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • There are exceptions—most notably, the 2012 Obamacare ruling, when Roberts angered conservatives by finding a convoluted way to determine that the individual insurance mandate was constitutional.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of mandate
Noun
  • Leaders should monitor changes in input patterns, missing information, schemas, populations, products, geography, language, prompts, retrieval sources, foundation-model versions, external tools, and vendor dependencies.
    — Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But through legal talent, legal reputation, and economic dependencies, the United States has remained a focal point in global law.
    — Mark Jia, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of dependency

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protector
protectorate
protectorates
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Cite this Entry

“Protectorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protectorate. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on protectorate

Nglish: Translation of protectorate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about protectorate

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