sovereignty

American  

[sov-rin-tee, suhv-] / ˈsɒv rɪn ti, ˈsʌv- /

noun

• sovereignties
  plural

1. the quality or state of being sovereign, or of having supreme power or authority.

2. the status, dominion, power, or authority of a sovereign; royal rank or position; royalty.

3. supreme and independent power or authority in government as possessed or claimed by a state or community.

4. rightful status, independence, or prerogative.

5. a sovereign or independent state, community, or political unit.

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sovereignty British  

/ ˈsɒvrəntɪ /

noun

1. supreme and unrestricted power, as of a state

2. the position, dominion, or authority of a sovereign

3. an independent state

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sovereignty Cultural  

1. A nation or state's supreme power within its borders. A government might respond, for example, to criticism from foreign governments of its treatment of its own citizens by citing its rights of sovereignty.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-sovereignty
  noun
• supersovereignty
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sovereignties
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sovereignty

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English soverainte, from Anglo-French sovereynete, from Old French soverainete, equivalent to soverain sovereign + -ete -ty ²

Explanation

Sovereignty can describe the power of one state or thing over another or the freedom a state or thing has to control itself. Look closely at the word sovereignty, and you will see it is all about who reigns, or rules. Although sovereignty is usually used in a political sense — particularly the power of nations, it can be used to describe personal control as well: If your mother insists upon your wearing wool hats in summertime, you might declare complete sovereignty over your wardrobe. The word is also occasionally used for the power of royalty, like a queen.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sovereignty sovereignties

Economic warfare exacerbates the trend toward deglobalization or “slow-balization,” with countries re-siting production onshore for reasons of sovereignty, independence and domestic employment.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026

More than 40 years after the war over the territory, sovereignty of the archipelago in the south-west Atlantic Ocean remains hotly disputed between Britain and Argentina.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Prime Minister Mark Carney invited the King to open Canada's parliament in May - a visit that Carney at the time said "clearly underscores the sovereignty of our country".

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

But the deals have raised major questions about Venezuela's sovereignty.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

Legalistic debates over federal versus state sovereignty were just the most accessible handles to grab, the safest and most politically suitable ways to talk about alternative national visions.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

"Lines on maps started to symbolize the limits of political sovereignties rather than the boundless divine promises. This transformed the way that the Bible's descriptions of geographical space were understood."

From Science Daily ● Nov. 30, 2025

In “The Economic Consequences of the Peace,” John Maynard Keynes asserted the primacy of economics, observing that “the perils of the future lie not in frontiers and sovereignties but in food, coal and transport.”

From Washington Post ● Nov. 8, 2015

All the most recent states — South Sudan, East Timor, Eritrea — were carved from existing sovereignties in the wake of bitter civil wars.

From New York Times ● Aug. 11, 2015

The new digital sovereignties have begun to clash with conventional nation-states.

From Slate ● Jan. 31, 2012

Fine Arts.—Perhaps the chief advantage which Germany has derived from the survival of separate territorial sovereignties within the empire has been the decentralization of culture.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 7 "Geoponici" to "Germany" by Various

Related Words

• dominance
• jurisdiction
• supremacy