definitions

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.

RELATED WORDS

supremacy, jurisdiction, dominance, ascendant, preeminence, dominion, prepotency, sway, ascendancy, primacy

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 formsself-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

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

Word Origin and History for sovereignty

sovereignty

n.

mid-14c., "pre-eminence," from Anglo-French sovereynete, Old French souverainete, from soverain (see sovereign (adj.)). Meaning "authority, rule, supremacy of power or rank" is recorded from late 14c.; sense of "existence as an independent state" is from 1715.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

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.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.