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 Tribal colleges offer curriculum based in cultural knowledge and degrees that aims to support tribal sovereignty and Native communities, said Juliet Maestas, the executive director of California Tribal College. Emma Hall, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024 Ominously, official maps, propaganda, and statements question the legitimacy of Japanese sovereignty over the Ryukyu island chain—including Okinawa—and of Russia’s control over parts of its far east. Andrew S. Erickson, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2024 All countries should respect the sovereignty of another country. Sugam Pokharel, CNN, 11 Feb. 2024 Hulu’s Indigenous American comedy-drama, Reservation Dogs, features Dallas Goldtooth, an advocate for the Land Back Indigenous sovereignty movement. Melissa Jun Rowley, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2024 Armenia has already agreed to relinquish all claims to Karabakh provided its national sovereignty is recognized and not violated in line with its Soviet-era borders. Paul Iddon, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Borders demarcate lines of sovereignty between states—and the Palestinians do not have a state. Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 China, which has not ruled out the use of force in unifying with democratic Taiwan, has in recent years stepped up military, economic and diplomatic pressure on the island, which rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims. Larissa Gao, NBC News, 20 Feb. 2024 Blinken is meeting with Prime Minister Edi Rama and will reaffirm the strength of the United States’ relations with Albania, a key partner for stability in the Western Balkans and a firm ally in supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty in its war against Russia. Chris Massaro, Fox News, 15 Feb. 2024

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 19 Mar. 2024.

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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