sovereign

1 of 2

noun

sov·​er·​eign ˈsä-v(ə-)rən 

-vərn,

 also  ˈsə-

variants or less commonly sovran

1

a

: one (such as a king or queen) possessing or held to possess supreme political power or sovereignty

The most important head at any coronation is that of the sovereign, but the queen consort is crowned, too.

—Maria Puente and Marco della Cava

b

: one that exercises supreme authority within a limited sphere

The United States remained the de facto sovereign of the canal and the Canal Zone until 1979 …

—History.com

c

: an acknowledged leader in a sphere of activity, interest, or competition

The reigning sovereign of real estate TV …

—Cu Fleshman

Chardonnay's longtime reign as California's sovereign of white wine is in jeopardy.

—Jess Lander

2

: any of various gold coins of the United Kingdom

sovereign

2 of 2

adjective

variants or less commonly sovran

1

a

: having unlimited power or authority

a sovereign ruler

also : relating to one who has such power or authority

the king's sovereign crown

b

: unlimited in extent : absolute

the sovereign power of a king

2

a

: having independent authority and the right to govern itself

a sovereign nation

Nigeria was a sovereign state with a G.D.P. of more than $470 billion.

—Jesse Barron

b

: relating to or characteristic of an independent individual, nation, state, etc.

… the concept of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) which give coastal states sovereign rights to explore, exploit, conserve and manage natural resources …

—Robin McKie

3

a

: highest and most important

… the error of thinking that casting a ballot is the perfection of civic virtue, the ultimate and sovereign duty of the citizen-ruler.

—Roger D. Hodge

b

: of the most exalted kind : supreme

sovereign virtue

c

: of an unqualified nature

sovereign contempt

d

archaic : having generalized curative powers

a sovereign remedy

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.

Synonyms of sovereign

Noun

• ruler
• monarch

Adjective

• main
• highest
• greatest
• dominant
• primary
• predominant
• foremost
• supreme
• principal
• big
• leading
• chief
• first
• central

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

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

Their daughters, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, are non-working royals and will retain their titles as daughters of the son of a sovereign, in line with a directive issued by King George V in 1917. —Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie ⬅➡ Keep their titles as granddaughters of a sovereign under George V's 1917 rules. —Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025

Adjective

So, in the UAE, we're partnered with Abu Dhabi, and there's two funds that have invested Mubadala, which is one of the sovereign wealth funds and IHC, another one of the sovereign wealth funds. —James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025

More recently, the firm advised the government on many of its international bond sales and helped finance the sovereign wealth fund’s $55 billion purchase of Electronic Arts. —Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sovereign

• half sovereign
• sovereign immunity

Kids Definition

sovereign

1 of 2 noun

sov·​er·​eign ˈsäv-(ə-)rən 

ˈsäv-ərn,

ˈsəv-

1

: a person, body of persons, or a state possessing sovereignty

especially : a monarch exercising supreme authority in a state

2

: an old British gold coin

sovereign

2 of 2 adjective

1

: chief entry 1 sense 2, highest

a citizen's sovereign duty

2

: supreme in power or authority

a sovereign ruler

3

: politically independent : autonomous

a sovereign state

Medical Definition

sovereign

adjective

sov·​er·​eign ˈsäv-(ə-)rən 

: having generalized curative powers

a sovereign remedy

Legal Definition

sovereign

1 of 2 noun

sov·​er·​eign

ˈsä-vrən, ˈsə-, -və-rən

: 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

2 of 2 adjective

1

: having supreme power

a sovereign ruler

2

: enjoying autonomy

sovereign states

3

: relating to, characteristic of, or befitting a sovereign