sovereignty

noun

ˈsä-v(ə-)rən-tē How to pronounce sovereignty (audio)
variants also sovranty
Definition of sovereigntynext
1
as in autonomy
the state of being free from the control or power of another upon leaving home she felt that she had achieved sovereignty for the first time in her life

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2
as in nation
a body of people composed of one or more nationalities usually with its own territory and government as parts of the same sovereignty, the states should not enact laws intended to harm one another economically

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3
as in dominion
controlling power or influence over others the gradual sovereignty of English as the language of international communication

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sovereignty From the Houthis’ perspective, their sovereignty consequently remained incomplete. — Laurent Bonnefoy, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026 The military operation there aims to restore sovereignty and confront the Houthi militia that’s attacking not just Saudi Arabia and Yemen, but the arteries of the global economy. — Faisal J. Abbas, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Attorneys for the Wilton Rancheria have argued that the 2017 agreement explicitly said the tribe’s code would govern labor relations at the casino, and disregarding that labor code would disregard the tribe’s sovereignty. — Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Israel regards Jerusalem as its capital, while Britain and much of the international community do not recognize Israeli sovereignty over east Jerusalem, which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War and subsequently annexed. — Dov Lieber, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sovereignty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sovereignty
  1. autonomy
  2. nation
  3. dominion
  4. independence
  5. state
  6. supremacy
  7. freedom
  8. country
Noun
  • The problem, Snegovaya said, is that achieving military autonomy for Europe and Ukraine is extremely difficult in the short term, and Europe has been slow to develop the necessary capabilities.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
  • CoreMotion is intended to address this integration challenge by providing a common control layer between autonomy software and vehicle hardware.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of autonomy
Noun
  • Sectarian tensions and the disrupting force of the Cold War plunged the Middle Eastern nation into decades of armed conflict, with a chilling effect on daily life.
    — Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
  • And the last independent country in that land before modern Israel, the one Rome conquered, was--wait for it--a Jewish nation.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of nation
Noun
  • In the past, the principal solvent of Europe’s imperial dominions was the growing reluctance of people in the metropole to bear the financial and military burden.
    — NIALL FERGUSON, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Faced with the dominion of the identical copy, some modern artists chose to celebrate it; others took a more critical, even antagonistic stance.
    — Mario Carpo, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of dominion
Noun
  • The three lines of defense model reinforces accountability while preserving appropriate independence.
    — Manny Khan, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The vote had faced concerns of possible foreign interference after Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail reported Republican operatives had assisted top separatist leaders with their independence bid.
    — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of independence
Noun
  • That answer is unlikely to satisfy many Democratic primary voters, according to a poll of six early primary states conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Multiple states now restrict forever chemicals, with Minnesota last year banning the intentional addition of PFAS to 11 categories of consumer products, including dental floss.
    — Margaret Hetherman The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of state
Noun
  • Shifting coalitions When the Haredi parties exited Netanyahu’s coalition, Likud replaced them with nationalist parties that emphasize the state and Jewish supremacy.
    — Hannah Ridge, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Gavin Newsom’s legislative minions just got a lesson in constitutional supremacy.
    — , FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of supremacy
Noun
  • My first exit gave me that freedom, but also a sense of unfinished business.
    — Daniel Kjellén, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The decades-long contract with Cheniere indicates that Qatar sees a risk that freedom of navigation will never return to Hormuz as Iran keeps attacking tankers, Munton said.
    — Spencer Kimball,Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of freedom
Noun
  • The 20 countries at greatest risk of a worsening humanitarian crisis, ranked by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) annually in our Emergency Watchlist, represent just 12% of the global population, but 90% of those in humanitarian need.
    — David Miliband, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Many other countries and even continents would kill to have this level of ingenuity on their shores.
    — Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of country

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sovereignty
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Cite this Entry

“Sovereignty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sovereignty. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sovereignty

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sovereignty

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