sovereign

American  

[sov-rin, sov-er-in, suhv-] / ˈsɒv rɪn, ˈsɒv ər ɪn, ˈsʌv- /

noun

sovereigns plural

1. a monarch; a king, queen, or other supreme ruler.

   Synonyms:

   potentate, empress, emperor

2. a person who has supreme power or authority.

3. a group or body of persons or a state having sovereign authority.

   Synonyms:

   government

4. a gold coin of the United Kingdom, equal to one pound sterling: went out of circulation after 1914.

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adjective

1. belonging to or characteristic of a sovereign or sovereign authority; royal.

   Synonyms:

   queenly, kingly, monarchical, princely, imperial, majestic, regal

2. having supreme rank, power, or authority.

3. supreme; preeminent; indisputable.

   a sovereign right.

   Synonyms:

   predominant, principal, paramount, chief

4. greatest in degree; utmost or extreme.

5. being above all others in character, importance, excellence, etc.

6. efficacious; potent.

   a sovereign remedy.

   Synonyms:

   effectual, effective

sovereign British  

/ ˈsɒvrɪn /

noun

1. a person exercising supreme authority, esp a monarch

2. a former British gold coin worth one pound sterling

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adjective

1. supreme in rank or authority

   a sovereign lord

2. excellent or outstanding

   a sovereign remedy

3. of, relating to, or characteristic of a sovereign

4. independent of outside authority

   a sovereign state

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsovereign
  noun
• subsovereign
  noun
• undersovereign
  noun
• quasi-sovereign
  adjective
• supersovereign
  adjective
• unsovereign
  adjective
• nonsovereignly
  adverb
• sovereignly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sovereigns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sovereign

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English soverain, altered by influence of reign, from Old French soverain, from Vulgar Latin superānus (unrecorded), equivalent to Latin super- super- + -ānus -an

Explanation

Put simply, your sovereign is your king or queen. George III was the sovereign of Great Britain and her colonies — including the American ones. At least he was until a little thing called the Revolutionary War upset everything. Sovereign as an adjective can be used to indicate the ultimate power of a state, whether a monarchy or not, as in "Peru exercised its sovereign rights to all minerals within its borders." A sovereign is also a British gold coin with a face value of one pound sterling (with the monarch's face on it). But don't sell it for a pound, because it's worth its weight in gold — quite literally — which is a lot more than a pound is worth.

Example Sentences

France, conversely, was eager to build up Europe’s own sovereign defense base and technology, from quantum computing to AI systems held outside America.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026

"I have come to reaffirm France's commitment to the Syrian people. To a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbours," Macron, who will leave on Tuesday, announced on X.

From Barron's • Jul. 6, 2026

The legal barrier Exxon faced was that it wasn’t clear that the 1996 statute allowed a plaintiff to sue companies like Cimex, since government-affiliated entities are generally protected by sovereign immunity.

From Slate • Jul. 1, 2026

"Safeguarding national unity, territorial integrity, and social stability falls within the sovereign rights of all countries, and is a basic principle established under international law," he added.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026

Had not they locked arms together as “Publius” to justify the need for a national government with sovereign power over the states?

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

Related Words

• absolute
• autonomous
• unlimited