as in territory
a small country that is controlled and protected by a larger one
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Recent Examples of protectorate
The main languages spoken in Morocco are French (the country was a former protectorate), English, and Darija, a dialect of Arabic primarily spoken in North Africa.
—
Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2025
Within 35 years, virtually the entire continent, only a few patches excepted, was made up of European colonies or protectorates.
—Adam Hochschild, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
In 1815, Monaco became a Sardinian protectorate before receiving independence once again in 1861.
—Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 21 Mar. 2025
Elon Musk's assault on the federal government has supercharged Tesla's evolution from liberal status symbol to pride-of-MAGA protectorate.
—Nathan Bomey, Axios, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for protectorate
Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2025
Within 35 years, virtually the entire continent, only a few patches excepted, was made up of European colonies or protectorates.
—Adam Hochschild, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
In 1815, Monaco became a Sardinian protectorate before receiving independence once again in 1861.
—Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 21 Mar. 2025
Elon Musk's assault on the federal government has supercharged Tesla's evolution from liberal status symbol to pride-of-MAGA protectorate.
—Nathan Bomey, Axios, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for protectorate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protectorate
Noun
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The attack took place in the city of Beit Hanoun in Gaza’s northeast corner, easily visible from the Israeli city of Sderot, in territory that was supposed to be under Israeli military control.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
12 July 2025
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The Calabrian sister festival hopes to become an annual fixture, highlighting both the push within the wine sector to valorize local products and the territory in general to bring international visitors to the area.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Noun
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Under its two congressional mandates, the central bank reduces rates to lower borrowing costs for Americans and bolster a sluggish economy.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
4 July 2025
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Regulatory Push: Data-sovereignty rules in the EU, U.S. federal AI-risk guidelines and industry-specific mandates (HIPAA, FINRA) all quietly favor keeping sensitive model development closer to home turf.—
Baris Kavakli,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
Noun
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Only 5% of companies assess their environmental impacts, fewer than 1% understand their dependencies on nature.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Simultaneously, the labor market is quickly transitioning off its dependency on government and back to the productive private sector.—
E.J. Antoni,
Boston Herald,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Protectorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protectorate. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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