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

German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck’s video condemning anti-Semitism was a bracing reassertion of each of those prerogatives of sovereignty. —WSJ, 14 Nov. 2023

China has claimed sovereignty over most of the region in defiance of international legal rulings. —Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner, 23 Oct. 2023

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including parts of the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. —Reuters, NBC News, 23 Oct. 2023

Thankfully for the planet, and for humanity’s ability to address a variety of existential threats, the influence of institutions that balance sovereignty and unity will help determine the future. —Joshua Shifrinson, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2023

Washington should be realistic about its expectations when dealing with these countries, respecting their sovereignty and their right to make decisions that advance their own interests. —Jake Sullivan, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023

Supporting the island’s Indigenous tribes helps prove Taiwan’s historical and cultural distinction from China and adds weight to the government’s ongoing sovereignty claims. —Brendan Ross, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2023

During a meeting with Putin on Wednesday that lasted about three hours, Xi said that China supports Russia in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and development interests, according to a readout published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry that did not mention Ukraine. —Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 18 Oct. 2023

Producing countries leveraged the opportunity to reclaim sovereignty over their oil reserves. —Jim Krane, Fortune, 12 Oct. 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