sultan

noun

sul·​tan ˈsəl-tᵊn How to pronounce sultan (audio)
: a king or sovereign especially of a Muslim state
sultanic adjective

Examples of sultan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The sultan is the second-longest reigning monarch, following the late Queen Elizabeth II. Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 29 Aug. 2024 Putin refers to this region—a vast expanse of steppe and the coastline that the tsars wrested from the Ottoman sultans in the eighteenth century—by the name Novorossiya, or New Russia. Brian Milakovsky, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2022 In effect, Erdogan crowned himself as Turkey’s new sultan—simultaneously becoming the head of state, head of government, head of the ruling party, and head of the police (which is a national force in Turkey). Soner Cagaptay, Foreign Affairs, 4 Jan. 2022 Besides, a defeat for the old sultan could give Moscow control over, or the power to threaten, the Strait of Hormuz off Oman’s northern coast, potentially squeezing the flow of oil that was the lifeblood of the U.K.’s economic life and indeed crucial to economics across Europe. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sultan 

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from Arabic sulṭān

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sultan was in 1555

Dictionary Entries Near sultan

Cite this Entry

“Sultan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sultan. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

sultan

noun
sul·​tan ˈsəlt-ᵊn How to pronounce sultan (audio)
: a king or ruler especially of a Muslim state
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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