name · noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/pɹəˈtɛktəɹɪt/
Canada:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P R AH0 T EH1 K T ER0 AH0 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
name
Meaning 1
The British state from 1653 to 1659, under Oliver Cromwell and then Richard Cromwell.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
Examples
Holonym: Interregnum
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, Commonwealth
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Government by a protector; especially, The Protectorate: government of England, Scotland, and Ireland between 1653 and 1659 under the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth Oliver Cromwell, later his son Richard Cromwell.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The office or position of the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The authority assumed by a state over another state deemed inferior or dependent, whereby the former protects the latter from invasion and shares in the management of its affairs but the protected state retains its nominal sovereignty.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Egypt became a British protectorate in 1914.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
An autonomous state under protectorate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
The office or position of protector (sense 5).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: regency
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
a state or territory partly controlled by (but not a possession of) a stronger state but autonomous in internal affairs; protectorates are established by treaty
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Etymology tree English protector Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus, -tūs Latin -ātusder. English -ate English protectorate From protector + -ate (forms nouns denoting rank or office, a system ruled by people of such office).
Across languages
Translations
55 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
الحِمَايَة
(al-ḥimāya)
— government by a protector
Bulgarian:
регентство
(regentstvo)
— government by a protector
Catalan:
protectorat
— government by a protector
Chinese Mandarin:
保护国
(bǎohù guó)
— government by a protector
Czech:
protektorát
— government by a protector
Dutch:
protectoraat
— government by a protector
Esperanto:
protektorato
— government by a protector
Finnish:
protektoraatti
— government by a protector
French:
protectorat
— government by a protector
Georgian:
დამოკიდებული ქვეყანა
(damoḳidebuli kveq̇ana)
— government by a protector
Georgian:
დამოკიდებული სახელმწიფო
(damoḳidebuli saxelmc̣ipo)
— government by a protector
Georgian:
სატელიტი ქვეყანა
(saṭeliṭi kveq̇ana)
— government by a protector
Georgian:
სატელიტური სახელმწიფო
(saṭeliṭuri saxelmc̣ipo)
— government by a protector
Georgian:
პროტექტორატი
(ṗroṭekṭoraṭi)
— government by a protector
German:
Protektorat
— government by a protector
German:
Schutzgebiet
— government by a protector
Italian:
protettorato
— government by a protector
Japanese:
保護者による政府
— government by a protector
Khmer:
អាណាព្យាបាល
(aa naa pyiebaal)
— government by a protector
Norwegian Bokmål:
protektorat
— government by a protector
Norwegian Nynorsk:
protektorat
— government by a protector
Polish:
protektorat
— government by a protector
Portuguese:
protetorado
— government by a protector
Russian:
протектора́т
(protɛktorát)
— government by a protector
Spanish:
protectorado
— government by a protector
Swedish:
protektorat
— government by a protector
Ukrainian:
протектора́т
(protektorát)
— government by a protector
Welsh:
protectoriaeth
— government by a protector
Albanian:
protektorat
— a protected autonomous state
Bulgarian:
протекторат
(protektorat)
— a protected autonomous state
Catalan:
protectorat
— a protected autonomous state
Chinese Mandarin:
保護國 /保护国
(bǎohùguó)
— a protected autonomous state
Danish:
protektorat
— a protected autonomous state
Dutch:
protectoraat
— a protected autonomous state
Finnish:
protektoraatti
— a protected autonomous state
Finnish:
suojelualue
— a protected autonomous state
French:
protectorat
— a protected autonomous state
German:
Protektorat
— a protected autonomous state
German:
Schutzgebiet
— a protected autonomous state
Indonesian:
protektorat
— a protected autonomous state
Indonesian:
negara lindungan
— a protected autonomous state
Italian:
protettorato
— a protected autonomous state
Japanese:
保護国
(hogokoku)
— a protected autonomous state
Korean:
보호국
(bohoguk)
— a protected autonomous state
Malay:
negeri naungan
— a protected autonomous state
Norwegian Bokmål:
protektorat
— a protected autonomous state
Norwegian Nynorsk:
protektorat
— a protected autonomous state
Polish:
protektorat
— a protected autonomous state
Portuguese:
protetorado
— a protected autonomous state
Russian:
протектора́т
(protɛktorát)
— a protected autonomous state
Spanish:
protectorado
— a protected autonomous state
Swahili:
nchi lindwa
— a protected autonomous state
Swedish:
protektorat
— a protected autonomous state
Ukrainian:
протектора́т
(protektorát)
— a protected autonomous state
