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

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the deal recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

The governments of Greenland and Denmark, which has sovereignty over the island, confirmed they would sign the agreement during the United Nations General Assembly next week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Wilkinson said the two parties were looking at areas "where we have complementary capabilities and needs" and that are "strategically important" to "ensure our sovereignty", such as energy, artificial intelligence and critical minerals.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

For the UK there is also a vital argument about data sovereignty, and avoiding total reliance on either the US or other countries for the IT infrastructure underpinning large swathes of our service economy.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

There’s a sense of sovereignty that comes from life on a mountain, a perception of privacy and isolation, even of dominion.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

"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

But a terrorist organization is by definition a nongovernmental entity that operates along the creases of national sovereignties and international law.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 9, 2020

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

All the jealousy, the factious spirit, and the prejudice, which petty local sovereignties are bound to engender, flourished apace; and the general effect was to develop what European statesmen of a certain period termed Particularism.

From The Fathers of Confederation A Chronicle of the Birth of the Dominion by A. H. U. (Arthur Hugh Urquhart) Colquhoun

Related Words

• dominance
• jurisdiction
• supremacy