Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A major historical empire: The Ottoman Empire was a vast, long-lasting state and caliphate centered in modern-day Turkey. It was founded by Turkic tribes in Anatolia in the late 13th century, grew to control territories across three continents, and dissolved after its defeat in World War I (1914-1918).

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The Ottoman Empire reached its peak of power under Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th century.
  • For centuries, the Ottoman Empire was a major power in Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa.
  • The fall of Constantinople in 1453 marked a pivotal moment for the Ottoman Empire.

Advanced Usage

• "The Sublime Ottoman State": A formal and historical name used for the empire in official contexts.
  • The treaty was signed between the Republic of Venice and the Sublime Ottoman State.
• "The Ottoman Porte" or simply "the Porte": A metonym for the central government of the Ottoman Empire, derived from the French translation of the Turkish for "High Gate".
  • European ambassadors conducted their diplomacy with the Ottoman Porte.

Variants and Related Words

• Ottoman (adjective): Of or relating to the Ottoman Empire or the Turks of this empire.
  • Ottoman architecture is renowned for its grand mosques and intricate tilework.
• Ottoman (noun): A low, upholstered seat or footstool, originally from the Ottoman Empire.
• Osmanlı İmparatorluğu (noun): The Turkish name for the Ottoman Empire.

Synonyms

• Turkish Empire: A historical synonym, though "Ottoman Empire" is the more precise and standard term.
• The Sublime Porte: Refers specifically to its government.

Related Phrases

• Ottoman dynasty: The ruling royal family of the empire.
  • The Ottoman dynasty ruled for over six centuries.
• Ottoman rule: The period or fact of being governed by the Ottoman Empire.
  • The region experienced significant changes during centuries of Ottoman rule.

Related Idioms/Concepts

• "The sick man of Europe": A 19th-century epithet for the declining Ottoman Empire, highlighting its territorial losses and internal weaknesses.
  • By the late 1800s, European powers referred to the Ottoman Empire as the "sick man of Europe."

Noun

1. a Turkish sultanate of southwestern Asia and northeastern Africa and southeastern Europe; created by the Ottoman Turks in the 13th century and lasted until the end of World War I; although initially small it expanded until it superseded the Byzantine Empire