sovereign

1 coming before all others in importance the sovereign issue for voters is the inadequate performance of the local schools Synonyms arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief, dominant, first, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, foremost (also sovran), supremeRelated Words distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, star, stellar, superior; high-level, senior, top; important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant; incomparable, matchless, unequaled (or unequalled), unparalleled, unsurpassed; celebrated, famed, famous, renownedNear Antonyms inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant; collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiaryAntonyms last, least

2 not being under the rule or control of another a sovereign state whose domestic policies are its own business Synonyms autonomous, freestanding, independent, self-governed, self-governing, self-ruling, separate, free (also sovran)Related Words freeborn; delivered, emancipated, freed, liberated, manumitted, redeemed, released; unconquered, unruled, unsupervised; empowered, enfranchised; democratic, republicanNear Antonyms bound, captive, conquered, enslaved, fettered, subdued, subjugated; inferior, subordinate, subservientAntonyms dependent, nonautonomous, non-self-governing, subject, unfree