protectorado

protectorate

noun proh-tehk-toh-RAH-doh Rare

Origin: From Latin protector + -ado, a calque of French protectorat.

Usage Note

Protectorado refers to a territory that is nominally self-governing but is controlled and protected by a foreign power, a concept central to 19th- and 20th-century colonial history. Spain maintained a protectorado over northern Morocco from 1912 to 1956. The word shares its suffix (-ado) with other political terms like consulado and ducado.

Examples

"El protectorado fue establecido en 1912."

Natural Translation

The protectorate was established in 1912.

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