sovereign

[sov-rin, sov-er-in, suhv-]

noun

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.

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

/ ˈsɒvrɪn /

noun

1. a person exercising supreme authority, esp a monarch

2. a former British gold coin worth one pound sterling

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of sovereign¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of sovereign¹

C13: from Old French soverain, from Vulgar Latin superānus (unattested), from Latin super above; also influenced by _reign

Example Sentences

Argentine stocks and sovereign bonds surged and the peso strengthened against the dollar after weeks of volatility over concerns about Milei’s ability to overhaul the economy and fight inflation, a crucial issue for voters.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Qualcomm also signed Saudi Arabia’s Humain, an AI company backed by the country’s sovereign wealth fund, as its first customer for the new series of chips.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Challenging other nations to emulate the U.S. by guaranteeing some portion of their sovereign debt in gold would demonstrate America’s vision for stable money as the proper foundation for fair trade.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But a great sovereign nation guards certain spaces as monuments to the country’s history and singularity.

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Should Puerto Rico become a state, as some prominent national Democrats have suggested, or a sovereign country, as others have floated?

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• absolute 
• autonomous 
• unlimited