sovereignty

noun

sov·​er·​eign·​ty ˈsä-v(ə-)rən-tē How to pronounce sovereignty (audio)
-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

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 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sovereignty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of sovereignty was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near sovereignty

Cite this Entry

“Sovereignty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sovereignty. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

sovereignty

noun
sov·​er·​eign·​ty ˈsäv-(ə-)rən-tē How to pronounce sovereignty (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on sovereignty

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