as in territories
a small country that is controlled and protected by a larger one
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Recent Examples of protectorates
This misunderstands the nature of modern protectorates, such as Palau or the Marshall Islands.
—
Barry Scott Zellen,
Hartford Courant,
12 June 2026
With very few exceptions, an end was declared, not only to empires, but also to city-states, duchies, principalities, emirates, sultanates, caliphates, khanates, agencies, princely states, colonies, suzerains, dependencies, mandates, tributaries, condominia and protectorates.
—
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
The British went on to claim regions of the coast and declare them as protectorates.
—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
During the 1830s attempts were made to safeguard Aboriginal peoples by placing them under supervision in protectorates, but these attempts failed and were abandoned after the coming of self-government in the 1850s.
—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 Mar. 2026
Barry Scott Zellen,
Hartford Courant,
12 June 2026
With very few exceptions, an end was declared, not only to empires, but also to city-states, duchies, principalities, emirates, sultanates, caliphates, khanates, agencies, princely states, colonies, suzerains, dependencies, mandates, tributaries, condominia and protectorates.
—
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
The British went on to claim regions of the coast and declare them as protectorates.
—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
During the 1830s attempts were made to safeguard Aboriginal peoples by placing them under supervision in protectorates, but these attempts failed and were abandoned after the coming of self-government in the 1850s.
—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protectorates
Noun
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One of the strongest super typhoons on the planet this year was striking the US Pacific Islands on Monday morning, the second massive storm to hit the territories since April.
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The only Caribbean country to qualify twice for the World Cup, Haiti joined the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao as the only territories that had teams qualify for this year’s 48-nation tournament.
Noun
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On back-tob-back possessions, Lendeborg combined with Will Richard to smother one Spur attempt at the rim, and then covered for a botched defensive play by Graham Ike by blocking Miles Kelly’s attempt from seven feet away.
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The second half, however, included both teams combining for eight shots and 117 possessions lost.
Noun
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How Apple Locks In Premium iPhone Users Multi-device iCloud storage integration and cross-hardware system dependencies function as an economic exit barrier against platform switching.
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Both countries are also hunting for ways to reduce dependencies on China.
Cite this Entry
“Protectorates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protectorates. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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