sovereignty

[ sov-rin-tee, suhv- ]

/ ˈsɒv rɪn ti, ˈsʌv- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sovereignty ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural sov·er·eign·ties.

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

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

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

rightful status, independence, or prerogative.

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

Nearby words

souvlakia, sov language, sov. un., sovereign, sovereigntist, sovereignty, sovereignty association, sovetsk, soviet, soviet bloc, soviet central asia

Origin of sovereignty

1300–50; Middle English soverainte < Anglo-French sovereynete (Old French soverainete), equivalent to soverain sovereign + -ete -ty²

Related forms

self-sov·er·eign·ty, nounsu·per·sov·er·eign·ty, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sovereignty

“Sovereignty, I argued, cannot be conceived as the right to kill millions of innocent people,” Lemkin wrote in his notebooks.
The Man Who Invented the Word ‘Genocide’|Nina Strochlic|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is now a so called Crown Dependency, meaning it falls under the sovereignty of the British Crown, but is not part of the U.K.
The Crazy Medieval Island of Sark|Liza Foreman|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The tagline for the Museum is “Paz, Memoria, y Sobernía”: Peace, Memory and Sovereignty.
The Never-Ending Falklands War: In Buenos Aires, A Museum's Selective History|Michael Luongo|August 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Despite competing claims made by the British government and nearby Antigua, the rock island maintained its sovereignty.
So You Want to Rule a Kingdom? A Wacky History of One-Man Nations|Nina Strochlic|July 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The framers in 1787 were wary of sovereignty, and tried to divide, distance, check and balance its exercise.
One U.S. Constitution Just Wasn’t Enough|Tom Arnold-Forster|July 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For these and other reasons, your petitioners pray that Congress will establish its sovereignty over said Territory.
A History of Oregon, 1792-1849|William Henry Gray
The remedy does not consist in the lessening or weakening of sovereignty by individual states.
Under Four Administrations|Oscar S. Straus
The first argument in this pamphlet is founded on the sovereignty of the powers of Congress.
Abridgement of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856 (4 of 16 vol.)|Various
The right to exclude any or all classes of aliens is an attribute of sovereignty.
Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents|Grover Cleveland
He recognised the sovereignty of Cambyses, and sent that sum of money as the first proof of his submission.
The History of Antiquity|Max Duncker

British Dictionary definitions for sovereignty

sovereignty

/ (ˈsɒvrəntɪ) /

noun plural -ties

supreme and unrestricted power, as of a state

the position, dominion, or authority of a sovereign

an independent state

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Culture definitions for sovereignty

sovereignty

[ (sov-ruhn-tee, sov-uhr-uhn-tee) ]

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.