sovereignty
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Definition of sovereignty
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
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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
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And exiting the agreement protects the United States from future intrusions on the United States' sovereignty and massive future legal liability.
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But even such less-extreme manifestations of sovereignty as intelligence gathering would be done collectively, as if in this area the five closest democracies—
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The Cabinet session was the latest example of posturing by Netanyahu, who is under pressure from religious nationalist politicians to be more proactive in asserting Israeli sovereignty in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
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Separatist leaders who challenge India’s sovereignty over Kashmir called for a general strike on Sunday and Monday.
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Separatist leaders who challenge India's sovereignty over Kashmir called for a general strike on Sunday and Monday.
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How do neighborhoods constantly beset by violent crime and decay rediscover the will and purpose to maintain the sovereignty of a street -- not to mention the health of collapsing rose bushes?
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An international tribunal last year rejected most of China's claims to the waters and said its land reclamation was aggravating tensions and violating the sovereignty of fellow claimant the Philippines.
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Such moves toward standardization reveal how the European Commission, the EU's unelected but powerful government body, is steadily eroding the sovereignty of member states.
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
First Known Use: 14th century
Other Government and Politics Terms
SOVEREIGNTY Defined for English Language Learners
sovereignty
playDefinition of sovereignty for English Language Learners
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: unlimited power over a country
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: a country's independent authority and the right to govern itself
SOVEREIGNTY Defined for Kids
sovereignty
playDefinition of sovereignty for Students
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
Legal Definition of sovereignty
sovereignties
1a : supreme power especially over a body politic b : freedom from external control : autonomy
2 : one that is sovereign; especially : an autonomous state
Learn More about sovereignty
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sovereignty Spanish Central: Translation of sovereignty Nglish: Translation of sovereignty for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sovereignty for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sovereignty
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