sovereignty

American  

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

noun

plural

sovereignties

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

• self-sovereignty noun
• supersovereignty noun

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

Example Sentences

“We must understand…how to resist attempts to limit our sovereignty. We will determine for ourselves how many we need and what model we have,” he told a panel in December.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the French foreign ministry in a statement to AFP condemned "false information" that it said claimed France was "putting into question its sovereignty of Hunter and Matthew".

From Barron's

The two countries have been been contesting territorial sovereignty along their 800km land border for more than a century, since the borders of the two nations were drawn after the French occupation of Cambodia.

From BBC

“This can work in niche workloads where latency, sovereignty, or resilience beats pure cost,” Tuttle adds.

From MarketWatch

First, Europeans appear to be much less bothered by a loss of national sovereignty than Americans assume.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• dominance
• jurisdiction
• supremacy