sovereignty

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noun sov·er·eign·ty \ˈsä-v(ə-)rən-tē, -vərn-tē also ˈsə-\

variants: or less commonly

sovranty

Definition of sovereignty

plural

sovereignties

1 obsolete : supreme excellence or an example of it
2a : supreme power especially over a body politicb : freedom from external control : autonomyc : controlling influence
3 : one that is sovereign; especially : an autonomous state

See sovereignty defined for English-language learners

See sovereignty defined for kids

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 of sovereignty from the Web

The Trump administration, which regards the authority of foreign judges as an infringement of sovereignty, has both provisions in its sights.

— The Economist, "The outlines of NAFTA 2 emerge," 20 July 2017
Some Brexiteers would doubtless enjoy such a muscular exertion of sovereignty.

— The Economist, "A spat about seafood shows the compromises that Brexit will force," 5 July 2017
Xi will leave the city on Saturday after attending a flag-raising ceremony to mark the 20 years since China assumed sovereignty over Hong Kong.

— katie hunt, CNN, "China's Xi Jinping in Hong Kong: Joshua Wong, protesters released," 29 June 2017
Any serious mediation will need to bridge the gap between sovereignty-crushing non-starters and an ambitious, but achievable set of legitimate requirements.

— chicagotribune.com, "It's time for the Trump administration to step up in the Qatar crisis," 27 June 2017
Even more astonishing was the Israeli decision, at the moment of victory, to concede sovereignty over the Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site.

— yossi klein halevi, The Atlantic, "The Astonishing Israeli Concession of 1967," 7 June 2017
Hong Kong — a British colony until it was returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 — remains the only place under Beijing's effective jurisdiction that allows open memorialization of the crackdown.

— kevin lui / hong kong, Time, "Tens of Thousands in Hong Kong Commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre," 5 June 2017
Populists believe in popular sovereignty as expressed through elections and referenda.

— uri friedman, The Atlantic, "How Populism Helped Wreck Venezuela," 4 June 2017
Thus, our withdrawal from the agreement represents a reassertion of America's sovereignty.

— CBS News, "Full Transcript: Trump's Paris climate agreement announcement," 1 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of sovereignty

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

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Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

SOVEREIGNTY Defined for English Language Learners

sovereignty

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noun

Definition of sovereignty for English Language Learners

: unlimited power over a country
: a country's independent authority and the right to govern itself

SOVEREIGNTY Defined for Kids

sovereignty

play

noun sov·er·eign·ty \ˈsä-və-rən-tē, ˈsä-vrən-\

Definition of sovereignty for Students

plural

sovereignties

1 : supreme power especially over a political unit (as a country)
2 : a country's independent authority and right of self-control

Law Dictionary

sovereignty

noun sov·er·eign·ty \ˈsä-vrən-tē, ˈsə-, -və-rən-\

Legal Definition of sovereignty

plural

sovereignties

1a : supreme power especially over a body politic b : freedom from external control : autonomy
2 : one that is sovereign; especially : an autonomous state