sovereignty

noun

sov·er·eign·ty | \ˈsä-v(ə-)rən-tē,

-vərn-tē also ˈsə-\

variants: or less commonly sovranty

plural sovereignties

Definition of sovereignty

1 obsolete : supreme excellence or an example of it

2a : supreme power especially over a body politic

b : freedom from external control : autonomy

c : controlling influence

3 : one that is sovereign especially : an autonomous state

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about sovereignty

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of sovereignty in a Sentence

Nor was the sovereignty of the Native Hawaiian race recognized at the time Hawaii became a state. — Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, 18 July 2005 Cesaire's wrenching chant of self-affirmation announced a new era of intellectual and cultural sovereignty for black writers in French. — Lila Azam Zanganeh, New York Times Book Review, 12 June 2005 The position plunged him into a supremely complicated religious and political game. Throughout Europe the old order of divinely sanctioned kingdoms was battling models of popular sovereignty and citizenship inspired by the Enlightenment, the French Revolution and the adolescent U.S. — David Van Biema, Time, 4 Sept. 2000 upon leaving home she felt that she had achieved sovereignty for the first time in her life as parts of the same sovereignty, the states should not enact laws intended to harm one another economically

Recent Examples on the Web

Still, the party wants Italy to have more sovereignty in economic choices. — New York Times, "Why Italy’s Political Turmoil Is Causing Financial Angst Elsewhere," 29 May 2018 Addressing an audience that also included leaders from Lithuania, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, and Ukraine, Macron urged Europe to defend the global multilateral order, for the sake of the continent’s sovereignty. — Geir Moulson, BostonGlobe.com, "France’s Macron backs European unity amid US tensions," 10 May 2018 The assurance that slavery could be overcome inspired Jews to recover sovereignty in their homeland, which had been under foreign domination for two millennia. — Ruth R. Wisse, WSJ, "To Appreciate Freedom, Remember Slavery," 29 Mar. 2018 Then there are two cases that might bring Native American rights and sovereignty some long overdue public attention. — Matt Ford, The New Republic, "What the New Supreme Court Will Decide," 29 June 2018 That is essential to sovereignty and the security of our citizens. — Ben Rhodes, Time, "Ben Rhodes: Amidst the Trump Administration’s Cruelty, America’s Story Must Win Out," 21 June 2018 Others contend the universality of rights is not compatible with the sovereignty of the nation-state. — The Christian Science Monitor, "A chemical attack felt round the world," 9 Apr. 2018 Even as Native Americans, the original inhabitants of these lands, fight for sovereignty under this colonial empire, they are made to be strangers in their own land. — Yosimar Reyes, Teen Vogue, "In a "Nation of Immigrants," Who Chooses Who Belongs?," 28 Feb. 2018 Charles De Gaulle, for example, was in many ways a fiercely conservative nationalist, committed to the sovereignty, greatness, and independence of his native France. — Colin Dueck, National Review, "How to Defend the West," 7 Feb. 2018

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