sovereign

1 of 2

noun

sov·er·eign ˈsä-v(ə-)rən

-vərn,

also ˈsə-

variants or less commonly sovran

Synonyms of sovereign next

: one possessing or held to possess supreme political power or sovereignty

: one that exercises supreme authority within a limited sphere

: an acknowledged leader : arbiter

: any of various gold coins of the United Kingdom

sovereign

2 of 2

adjective

sov·er·eign ˈsä-v(ə-)rən

-vərn,

also ˈsə-

variants or less commonly sovran

: superlative in quality

: of the most exalted kind : supreme

sovereign virtue

: having generalized curative powers

a sovereign remedy

: of an unqualified nature : unmitigated

sovereign contempt

: having undisputed ascendancy : paramount

: possessed of supreme power

a sovereign ruler

: unlimited in extent : absolute

: enjoying autonomy : independent

sovereign states

: relating to, characteristic of, or befitting a supreme ruler : royal

a sovereign right

sovereignly adverb

Did you know?

Sovereign Power

Sovereign has everything to do with power. It often describes a person who has supreme power or authority, such as a king or queen. God is described as "sovereign" in a number of Bible translations. In addition to describing ones who have power, the word sovereign also often describes power: to have sovereign power is to have absolute power—that is, power that cannot be checked by anyone or anything. Nations and states are also sometimes described as "sovereign." This means that they have power over themselves; their government is under their own control, rather than under the control of an outside authority.

Sovereign can also be a synonym of supreme as in "of the most exalted kind." In that case, the power is figurative rather than literal.

Choose the Right Synonym for sovereign

free, independent, sovereign, autonomous mean not subject to the rule or control of another.

free stresses the complete absence of external rule and the full right to make all of one's own decisions.

you're free to do as you like

independent implies a standing alone; applied to a state it implies lack of connection with any other having power to interfere with its citizens, laws, or policies.

the colony's struggle to become independent

sovereign stresses the absence of a superior power and implies supremacy within a thing's own domain or sphere.

separate and sovereign armed services

autonomous stresses independence in matters pertaining to self-government.

in this denomination each congregation is regarded as autonomous

Example Sentences

Noun 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

after the current sovereign dies, the monarchy may be abolished Adjective 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

the sovereign power of a king The government's sovereign duty is to protect the rights of its citizens. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Charles was the 40th sovereign to be enthroned in the abbey -- and, at 74, the oldest. —

Compiled By Democrat-gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 7 May 2023 Six Windsor Grey horses — used only by the sovereign, and occasionally for a visiting head of state — are pulling the carriage. —

Leila Sackur, NBC News, 6 May 2023 As King, Charles now holds at least $500 million in personal assets with another $46 billion held in trust as the sovereign. —

Giacomo Tognini, Forbes, 4 May 2023 Considered the most sacred part of the coronation, the anointing asserts the sovereign’s divine right to rule. —

Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2023 Some of them, including the Danish and Norwegian royals, are sending crown princes and princesses rather than their sovereigns. —

Mary Jordan, Washington Post, 1 May 2023 The Marquess oversaw the sovereign’s costume changes, the Duke of Norfolk showed him what to do. —

Dr. Tessa Dunlop, Town & Country, 2 Apr. 2023 For a procession that brought the coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, the late monarch's casket was draped in the Royal Standard, or a flag that represents the sovereign, according to The Independent. —

Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Sep. 2022 Britain’s new sovereign in a historic ceremony that was televised for the first time. —

ABC News, 11 Sep. 2022

Adjective

The oldest British monarchs to be crowned before King Charles were King William IV (who became sovereign at age 64 in 1830), King Edward VII (who was 59 in 1901) and King George IV (who took the throne at age 57 in 1820). —

Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 8 May 2023 The new entity was bankrolled by Mubadala, Abu Dhabi’s $300 billion sovereign wealth fund. —

Rob Toews, Forbes, 7 May 2023 Though it is not personally owned by the monarch, it is held in trust by the king as sovereign. —

Mary Jordan, Washington Post, 5 May 2023 Andorra follows an American named Alexander Fox (Cannavale) who begins an idyllic new life in the tiny sovereign state of Andorra after a personal tragedy, determined to reinvent himself. —

Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 May 2023 The headpieces, swords, scepters and rings used decades ago for the queen's coronation will reemerge from the royal collection to anoint Charles as the sovereign monarch of Britain. —

Elise Brisco, USA TODAY, 3 May 2023 Last month, the sovereign wealth fund’s venture arm, Sanabil, released a list of its investments, which included prominent names such as Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, Andreesen Horowitz and private equity giant KKR. —

Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2023 Low's money, however, was stolen from Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, to the tune of $4.5 billion, which explains why Low has been on the lam for years and didn't turn up for Michel's trial. —

Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 27 Apr. 2023 China’s ambassador to Paris has now embarrassed the French President by declaring that the former nations of the Soviet Union aren’t really sovereign under international law. —

The Editorial Board, wsj.com, 23 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sovereign.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.