sovereign

noun

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sov·er·eign | \ ˈsä-v(ə-)rən

, -vərn also ˈsə- \

variants: or less commonly sovran

Definition of sovereign

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

sovereign

adjective

sov·er·eign | \ ˈsä-v(ə-)rən

, -vərn also ˈsə- \

variants: or less commonly sovran

Definition of sovereign (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : superlative in quality

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

2a : 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

Other Words from sovereign Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Sovereign Power More Example Sentences Learn More About sovereign

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Choose the Right Synonym for sovereign

Adjective

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

Sovereign Power

Adjective

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.

Examples of sovereign in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun However, the right to act as a sovereign is accompanied by the implicit right to be criticized for actions carried out in the name of said sovereignty. — Nick Martin, The New Republic, 18 May 2021 Turkey’s sovereign-wealth fund invested $5.8 billion in 2020, mainly in local banks and insurers and in mobile-phone operator Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. , according to the IFSWF. — Simon Clark, WSJ, 16 July 2021 The 95-year-old sovereign traditionally assumes a week of engagements in the country towards the end of June or early July each year to celebrate Scottish community, innovation and history. — Max Foster, CNN, 1 July 2021 This explains why the Sussex kids don't have titles now, but were expected to in the future—they're currently the great-grandchildren of the sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II. — Marie Claire, 20 June 2021 The longtime royal consort is survived by the sovereign, 94, four children including Prince Charles, eight grandchildren including Princes William and Harry, and 10 great-grandchildren. — Harper's Bazaar Staff, Harper's BAZAAR, 9 Apr. 2021 After working for an arm of Qatar’s sovereign-wealth fund, Tuchel now had the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich as his boss. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 29 May 2021 So far, the currency’s true believers are exhibiting impressive levels of coping, trying to rationalize their sovereign’s confusion. — Jacob Silverman, The New Republic, 13 May 2021 Luminus, which invests on behalf of institutions including sovereign-wealth and pension funds, is shrinking rather than shutting down. — Joe Wallace, WSJ, 29 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective But not long prior, the Trump administration jettisoned the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement, which was negotiated by the Obama administration with a sovereign state and with some of the United States' closest allies, the British, French, and Germans. — Peter Bergen, CNN, 17 Aug. 2021 Funded for a decade by Qatari sovereign wealth, PSG is one of the few clubs in the world that could finance the signing of Messi. — BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2021 The Vatican believes that the law as currently written violates the 1929 Lateran Pacts, which established Vatican City as a sovereign state and regulates relations between it and Italy. — NBC News, 23 June 2021 Vatican City is a sovereign state, meaning its own law enforcement officials were responsible for investigating any potential crime in the seminary. — Nicole Winfield, Star Tribune, 25 May 2021 Copyright lawyers said the Vatican’s status as a sovereign state likely wouldn’t protect it from an Italian court’s jurisdiction, given the commercial activity occurred in Italy. — Nicole Winfield, ajc, 25 May 2021 The core issues driving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — the lack of a sovereign Palestinian state, millions of West Bank Palestinians under military occupation, the blockade of Gaza — remain unaddressed. — New York Times, 21 May 2021 In the past, Israeli officials have said the court has no jurisdiction, saying the Palestinians are not an independent sovereign state. — Mike Corder, chicagotribune.com, 3 Mar. 2021 With Pope Francis’s approval, Vatican diplomats pursued a bilateral agreement, taking advantage of the Holy See’s status as a sovereign state. — Nina Shea, National Review, 19 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sovereign.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for sovereign

Noun

Middle English soverain, from Anglo-French soverein, from soverein, adjective — see sovereign entry 2

Adjective

Middle English soverain, from Anglo-French soverein, from Vulgar Latin *superanus, from Latin super over, above — more at over

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Dictionary Entries Near sovereign

sovenance

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Last Updated

7 Aug 2021

Cite this Entry

“Sovereign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sovereign. Accessed 27 Aug. 2021.

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More Definitions for sovereign

sovereign

noun

English Language Learners Definition of sovereign

(Entry 1 of 2)

formal : a king or queen

: a British gold coin that was used in the past

sovereign

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of sovereign (Entry 2 of 2)

formal

: having unlimited power or authority

: not limited

: having independent authority and the right to govern itself

See the full definition for sovereign in the English Language Learners Dictionary

sovereign

noun

sov·er·eign | \ ˈsä-və-rən

, ˈsä-vrən \

Kids Definition of sovereign

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a person (as a king or queen) having the highest power and authority

2 : an old British gold coin

sovereign

adjective

Kids Definition of sovereign (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : highest in power or authority a sovereign ruler

2 : having independent authority a sovereign state

3 : of the most important kind a sovereign duty

sovereign

adjective

sov·er·eign | \ ˈsäv-(ə-)rən

Medical Definition of sovereign

: having generalized curative powers a sovereign remedy

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sovereign

noun

sov·er·eign | \ ˈsä-vrən, ˈsə-, -və-rən \

Legal Definition of sovereign

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a person or political entity (as a nation or state) possessing or held to possess sovereignty the doctrine that a sovereign could not be sued without its consent was universal in the States when the Constitution was drafted — Alden v. Maine, 527 U.S. 706 (1999) — see also sovereign immunity at immunity

sovereign

adjective

Legal Definition of sovereign (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : having supreme power a sovereign ruler

2 : enjoying autonomy sovereign states

3 : relating to, characteristic of, or befitting a sovereign