popular sovereignty

noun

1

: a doctrine in political theory that government is created by and subject to the will of the people

2

: a pre-Civil War doctrine asserting the right of the people living in a newly organized territory to decide by vote of their territorial legislature whether or not slavery would be permitted there

Examples of popular sovereignty in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The general idea predated Wilson, but his willingness to use it in service of that abhorrent compromise—subordinating the dignity and equality of individual people to the importance of the American union—showed that his commitment to popular sovereignty had its limits. — Jesse Wegman, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026

Without real competition, elections risk going from true exercises in popular sovereignty to a mere administrative formality. — Charlie Hunt, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2026

Without real competition, elections risk going from true exercises in popular sovereignty to a mere administrative formality. — Charlie Hunt, The Conversation, 6 Feb. 2026

The time has come for popular sovereignty and national sovereignty to prevail in our country. — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1