1. The office, rank, or dominion of a caliph; an Islamic state or empire ruled by a caliph.
Usage: Also spelled 'caliphate' (more common in modern English).; Historical and political term.

Examples

• The Umayyad kaliphate was one of the largest empires in medieval history.
• The Ottoman kaliphate lasted for over 600 years.
• Scholars study the administrative structure of the early Islamic kaliphate.
• The kaliphate expanded rapidly across North Africa and the Middle East.