suzerainty
Americannoun
plural
suzerainties-
the position or authority of a suzerain.
-
the domain or area subject to a suzerain.
noun
-
the position, power, or dignity of a suzerain
-
the relationship between suzerain and subject
Etymology
Origin of suzerainty
1815–25; < French suzeraineté, Middle French suserenete, equivalent to suseren suzerain + -ete -ity
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Today, he is the absolute ruler of an impoverished but militarily dangerous nation protected by his own arms and the suzerainty of China.
From Washington Post • May 1, 2018
Iberia, much of Italy, the Low Countries, the Americas from California and Florida to Buenos Aires, the Caribbean and the Philippines were all under his suzerainty.
From Economist • Jul. 10, 2014
Since Norway was at the time under Danish suzerainty, and Finland was a province of Sweden, this made all Scandinavia into the Protestant stronghold it remains to this day.
From Salon • Apr. 13, 2014
Facebook’s suzerainty over its platform partners neither makes a lot of friends nor influences people.
From Slate • Feb. 26, 2014
There was, however, one moment in Manuel's life at which the liberation of the empire from the Ottoman suzerainty appeared possible and even probable.
From The Byzantine Empire by Oman, Charles William Chadwick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
