caliph

or ca·lif

[ key-lif, kal-if ]

noun

1. a spiritual leader of Islam, claiming succession from Muhammad.
2. any of the former Muslim rulers of Baghdad (until 1258) and of the Ottoman Empire (from 1571 until 1924).

caliph

/ ˈkæl-; ˈkeɪlɪf /

noun

1. Islam the title of the successors of Mohammed as rulers of the Islamic world, later assumed by the Sultans of Turkey

Other Words From

• cal·iph·al [kal, -, uh, -f, uh, l, key, -l, uh, -], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of caliph¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English caliphe, califfe, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin calipha, from Arabic khalīf(a) “successor (of Muhammad),” derivative of khalafa “succeed”

Word History and Origins

Origin of caliph¹

C14: from Old French, from Arabic khalīfa successor

Example Sentences

He bragged of almost selling a pork bun to the Muhammedan caliph of Baghdad.

From Literature

He never asserted a hereditary claim to the grand title of caliph.

From New York Times

As though inspired by “1984,” a caliph tells the Iraqis whom his men have kidnapped, “We came to liberate you.”

From Washington Post

The museum’s first exhibition since reopening in October after a major overhaul, “Baghdad: Eye’s Delight” charts the city’s heritage from the Abbasid caliphs from the seventh to twelfth centuries to today.

From New York Times

Some rival cut the caliph’s throat while he sat reading, and now “his blood flecks a page like the shadow of a moth.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• czar
• emperor
• king
• monarch
• shah
• sultan