sultana

IPA/sʌlˈtɑːnə/
IPA/sʌlˈtænə/

sultana — noun

  • sultanasingular
  • sultanasplural

1. a light-coloured, seedless dried grape with a naturally sweet taste, commonly ad

1.nounB2
Definition

a light-coloured, seedless dried grape with a naturally sweet taste, commonly added to sweet baked foods such as cakes, biscuits, and puddings

Example

Trang added a handful of sultanas to the cake mixture before baking.

collocation: a handful of sultanas

The breakfast cereal contained oats, almonds, and sultanas for extra sweetness.

Common collocations
  • soak sultanas
  • add sultanas
  • handful of sultanas
  • sultanas in [brandy / tea / juice]
  • bake with sultanas
Synonyms
  • raisin

    a general term for any dried grape; raisins are darker and made from darker grape varieties

  • golden raisin

    the American English equivalent of sultana; lighter in colour than standard raisins

Grammar Patterns

sultana + [noun]

a handful of sultanas

Usage Note

In British English, sultanas are lighter in colour than raisins and are made from white seedless grapes. In American English, the term 'golden raisin' is more common.

Common Mistakes

I bought a bag of sultanas grapes.
I bought a bag of sultanas.
Sultana already refers to the dried fruit; 'sultana grape' is the fresh fruit variety, not the dried one.

2. a type of pale yellow or light green grape that contains no seeds, grown in warm

2.nounC1
Definition

a type of pale yellow or light green grape that contains no seeds, grown in warm regions mainly for making dried fruit, wine, and juice

Example

The vineyards in central Turkey produce some of the finest sultana grapes in the world.

growing regions: Turkey, Greece, California

Hamza bought fresh sultanas at the farmers' market and ate them as a snack.

Common collocations
  • sultana grapes
  • sultana vine
  • grow sultanas
  • harvest sultanas
  • bunch of sultanas
Synonyms
  • Thompson seedless

    a very similar seedless grape variety grown widely in California, often considered the American equivalent

Grammar Patterns

sultana + [noun]

sultana vine

Usage Note

When used to refer to the fresh fruit rather than the dried product, 'sultana' is commonly followed by 'grape' — e.g. 'sultana grapes' — to avoid confusion with sense 1.

3. a female relative of a sultan, such as his wife, daughter, mother, or sister, wh

3.nounC1
Definition

a female relative of a sultan, such as his wife, daughter, mother, or sister, who holds a recognised position within a royal household

Example

The sultana wore a gown embroidered with silver thread during the royal ceremony.

historical / formal register

Historical records describe the sultana as a skilled diplomat who influenced court decisions for decades.

Common collocations
  • the sultana
  • young sultana
  • Sultana [name]
  • Ottoman sultana
  • portrait of the sultana
Synonyms
  • queen consort

    similar position as wife of a monarch, but used in European contexts rather than Islamic royal courts

  • princess

    can refer to a sultan's daughter, but has a broader meaning across many cultures

Grammar Patterns

the sultana

Sultana [name]

Usage Note

Used primarily in historical and formal contexts referring to Ottoman Empire or other Islamic royal courts. Not an official ruling title — a sultana did not typically govern independently.

Common Mistakes

The sultana ruled the country for twenty years.
The sultan ruled the country; the sultana was his wife and advisor.
A sultana is a female family member of a sultan, not a female ruler (which would be 'sultan' or 'sultana regnant' in rare cases).

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Sultana, raisin, currant, and golden raisin are all types of dried grapes, but they differ in grape variety, colour, and common usage. A sultana is made from seedless white grapes and is pale golden in colour, with a sweet, mild taste often used in British baking. A raisin is the general term for any dried grape, but typically refers to darker varieties made from red or black grapes, with a richer, fuller flavour. A currant is a small, dark, intensely sweet dried grape made from the Black Corinth variety — much smaller than a sultana and often used in scones and mince pies. A golden raisin, primarily used in American English, is the same product as a sultana but treated with sulfur dioxide to retain its bright colour. In practice, 'add a handful of sultanas to the cake mixture' is a classic British baking instruction, while an American recipe would more likely call for 'golden raisins'.

sultana ↗raisin ↗currant ↗golden raisin

Etymology

ArabicTurkishItalianEnglish

The word 'sultana' entered English in the 16th century via Italian 'sultana', from Arabic 'sulṭāna' (سلطانة), the feminine form of 'sulṭān' meaning 'ruler' or 'power'. The fruit sense emerged in the 19th century: the pale seedless grape was first exported from the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey), and English speakers named it after the sultan's household, reflecting its 'royal' origin. The two meanings thus share a historical thread — one travels from Arabic through Ottoman trade routes to describe the grape, while the other preserves the original sense of a royal woman.

First known use

1585

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1