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suzerainty

[soo-zuh-rin-tee, -reyn-]
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noun, plural su·ze·rain·ties.
  1. the position or authority of a suzerain.
  2. the domain or area subject to a suzerain.
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Origin of suzerainty

1815–25; < French suzeraineté, Middle French suserenete, equivalent to suseren suzerain + -ete -ity
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

commonwealthdomaincrowndynastycountysphereempirerealmfieldstatesovereigntyterritoryswayprovincedivisionmonarchyreignnationtractthrone

Examples from the Web for suzerainty

Historical Examples

  • Nothing was said as to the "suzerainty of her Majesty" mentioned in the Convention of 1881.

    Impressions of South Africa

    James Bryce

  • He revived the obsolete claim to suzerainty, and pretended that the Scots were rebels.

    Henry VIII.

    A. F. Pollard

  • Llywelyn the Great refused to dispute the suzerainty of England.

    Medival Wales

    A. G. Little

  • Here he lorded it over the natives, but acknowledged the suzerainty of the Spaniards.

    The Philippine Islands

    Ramon Reyes Lala

  • It is governed by a prince who is nominally under the suzerainty of Turkey.

    The Flags of the World

    F. Edward Hulme

British Dictionary definitions for suzerainty

suzerainty

noun plural -ties
  1. the position, power, or dignity of a suzerain
  2. the relationship between suzerain and subject
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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 suzerainty

n.

late 15c., from Old French suserenete; see suzerain.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper