1. the office, rank, or reign of a khalif (caliph); the Islamic state or territory ruled by a caliph
Usage: also spelled caliphate; historical and religious context

Examples

• The Umayyad khalifate expanded rapidly across North Africa and the Middle East.
• During the khalifate, Islamic law and governance were administered throughout the empire.
• The khalifate lasted for several centuries before fragmenting into smaller states.
• Scholars studied the political structure of the early khalifate.
• The khalifate represented one of history's largest medieval empires.