sovereign
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.1sov·er·eign
noun \ˈsä-v(ə-)rən, -vərn also ˈsə-\Definition of SOVEREIGN
1
a : one possessing or held to possess supreme political power or sovereignty b : one that exercises supreme authority within a limited sphere c : an acknowledged leader : arbiter
2
: any of various gold coins of the United Kingdom
See Variants of SOVEREIGN
sov·er·eign also sov·ran \ˈsä-v(ə-)rən, -vərn also ˈsə-\
Examples of SOVEREIGN
- <after the current sovereign dies, the monarchy may be abolished>
- Ricky Martin, sovereign of Latin pop culture, is back. —Raquel Cepeda, Vibe, May 1999
- During these two centuries the throne of Scotland was occupied by no more than seven sovereigns of only four different generations. —G.W.S. Barrow, The Anglo-Norman Era In Scottish History, 1980
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Origin of SOVEREIGN
Middle English soverain, from Anglo-French soverein, from soverein, adjective (see 2sovereign)
First Known Use: 13th century
Other Government and Politics Terms
2sov·er·eign
adjective \ˈsä-v(ə-)rən, -vərn also ˈsə-\Definition of SOVEREIGN
1
a : superlative in quality : excellent b : of the most exalted kind : supreme <sovereign virtue> c : having generalized curative powers <a sovereign remedy> d : of an unqualified nature : unmitigated <sovereign contempt> e : having undisputed ascendancy : paramount
2
a : possessed of supreme power <a sovereign ruler> b : unlimited in extent : absolute c : enjoying autonomy : independent <sovereign states>
3
: relating to, characteristic of, or befitting a supreme ruler : royal <a sovereign right>
— sov·er·eign·ly adverb
Variants of SOVEREIGN
sov·er·eign also sov·ran \ˈsä-v(ə-)rən, -vərn also ˈsə-\
Examples of SOVEREIGN
- the sovereign power of a king
- The government's sovereign duty is to protect the rights of its citizens.
- Local officials and a huge and enthusiastic crowd greeted Napoleon at the Portoferraio harbor. The Allies had granted him the title of Emperor of Elba, which was to be a sovereign state under his jurisdiction. —David Pryce-Jones, National Review, 4 July 2005
- If Cleopatra VII used her own personality more like Elizabeth I than Elizabeth II, she seems to have had the latter Elizabeth's sovereign sense of duty—as well as her fertility: With a dispatch usually associated with the gods, Cleopatra bore Caesar a son called Caesarion—“little Caesar”—in 47 B.C.E., the year after they met (she was twenty-one, he fifty-two). —Ingrid D. Rowland, New Republic, 1 & 8 April 2002
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Origin of SOVEREIGN
Middle English soverain, from Anglo-French soverein, from Vulgar Latin *superanus, from Latin super over, above — more at over
First Known Use: 14th century
Related to SOVEREIGN
- Synonyms
- arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief, dominant, first, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, foremost (also sovran), supreme
See Synonym Discussion at free
Other Government and Politics Terms
sov·er·eign
adjective \ˈsäv-(ə-)rən\ (Medical Dictionary)Medical Definition of SOVEREIGN
: having generalized curative powers <a sovereign remedy>
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