1. the office, rank, or dominion of a caliph; the Islamic state or territory ruled by a caliph
Usage: also spelled caliphate; historical and contemporary political term

Examples

• The Umayyad califate expanded rapidly across North Africa and the Middle East.
• The califate of Baghdad was a center of learning and culture during the medieval period.
• Historians study the structure and governance of various califates throughout Islamic history.
• The Ottoman califate lasted for several centuries before its dissolution in 1924.