sovereignty

noun

sov·​er·​eign·​ty ˈsä-v(ə-)rən-tē 

-vərn-tē,

 also  ˈsə-

variants or less commonly sovranty

plural sovereignties also sovranties

1

a

: supreme power especially over a body politic

b

: freedom from external control : autonomy

c

: controlling influence

2

: one that is sovereign

especially : an autonomous state

3

obsolete : supreme excellence or an example of it

Synonyms

• autonomy
• freedom
• independence
• independency
• liberty
• self-determination
• self-governance
• self-government

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

The protection of our citizens and defense of our sovereignty are fundamental. —Brady Knox, Washington Examiner, 18 Sep. 2023

Spain, the United States, and Israel have recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara, while France has refused to do so. —Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Sep. 2023

The containment of Russia and the preservation of Ukrainian sovereignty are first-order Western interests. —Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 12 Sep. 2023

Well, the leaders here all stood up very clearly, including in the statement, for Ukraine's sovereignty, for its territorial integrity. —ABC News, 10 Sep. 2023

Texas did not apply for federal approval to put barriers in the middle of the river, an act that Abbott characterized as a matter of state sovereignty. —Nick Miroff, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2023

In 2022, voters in the state rejected a pair of propositions that would have legalized sports gambling, and the fight includes protecting the sovereignty of Native American tribes who control wagering in the state. —Chris Bumbaca, The Courier-Journal, 5 Sep. 2023

Rising above a quiet east-central Utah town, there’s a plot of 28,500 acres that has become the center of a debate over tribal sovereignty, discrimination and whether a state trust has the authority to handpick a buyer when selling off valuable land. —Courtney Tanner, The Salt Lake Tribune, 1 Sep. 2023

Taiwan rejects China’s sovereignty claims and says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future. —Reuters, NBC News, 31 Aug. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English soverainte, from Anglo-French sovereinté, from soverein — see sovereign entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing sovereignty

• squatter sovereignty
• popular sovereignty

• squatter sovereignty
• popular sovereignty

Kids Definition

sovereignty

noun

sov·​er·​eign·​ty ˈsäv-(ə-)rən-tē 

ˈsäv-ərn-,

ˈsəv-

plural sovereignties

1

a

: supreme power especially over a politically organized unit : dominion

b

: freedom from outside control : autonomy

c

: the condition of being sovereign or a sovereign

2

: one (as a country) that is sovereign

Legal Definition

sovereignty

noun

sov·​er·​eign·​ty

ˈsä-vrən-tē, ˈsə-, -və-rən-

plural sovereignties

1

a

: supreme power especially over a body politic

b

: freedom from external control : autonomy

2

: one that is sovereign

especially : an autonomous state