Definition of sovereign
1a : one possessing or held to possess supreme political power or sovereigntyb : one that exercises supreme authority within a limited spherec : an acknowledged leader : arbiter
2 : any of various gold coins of the United Kingdom
Examples of sovereign in a sentence
Ricky Martin, sovereign of Latin pop culture, is back. —Raquel Cepeda, Vibe, May 1999
During these two centuries the throne of Scotland was occupied by no more than seven sovereigns of only four different generations. —G. W. S. Barrow, The Anglo-Norman Era In Scottish History, 1980
<after the current sovereign dies, the monarchy may be abolished>
Origin and Etymology of sovereign
Middle English soverain, from Anglo-French soverein, from soverein, adjective —see 2sovereign
First Known Use: 13th century
Other Government and Politics Terms
sovran
Definition of sovereign
1a : superlative in qualityb : of the most exalted kind : supreme <sovereign virtue>c : having generalized curative powers <a sovereign remedy>d : of an unqualified nature : unmitigated <sovereign contempt>e : having undisputed ascendancy : paramount
2a : possessed of supreme power <a sovereign ruler>b : unlimited in extent : absolutec : enjoying autonomy : independent <sovereign states>
3 : relating to, characteristic of, or befitting a supreme ruler : royal <a sovereign right>
sovereignly
adverbExamples of sovereign in a sentence
Local officials and a huge and enthusiastic crowd greeted Napoleon at the Portoferraio harbor. The Allies had granted him the title of Emperor of Elba, which was to be a sovereign state under his jurisdiction. —David Pryce-Jones, National Review, 4 July 2005
If Cleopatra VII used her own personality more like Elizabeth I than Elizabeth II, she seems to have had the latter Elizabeth's sovereign sense of duty—as well as her fertility: With a dispatch usually associated with the gods, Cleopatra bore Caesar a son called Caesarion—“little Caesar”—in 47 B.C.E., the year after they met (she was twenty-one, he fifty-two). —Ingrid D. Rowland, New Republic, 1 & 8 April 2002
the sovereign power of a king
The government's sovereign duty is to protect the rights of its citizens.
Sovereign Power
Sovereign has everything to do with power. It often describes a person who has supreme power or authority, such as a king or queen. God is described as "sovereign" in a number of Bible translations. In addition to describing ones who have power, the word sovereign also often describes power: to have sovereign power is to have absolute power—that is, power that cannot be checked by anyone or anything. Nations and states are also sometimes described as "sovereign." This means that they have power over themselves; their government is under their own control, rather than under the control of an outside authority.
Sovereign can also be a synonym of supreme as in "of the most exalted kind." In that case, the power is figurative rather than literal.
Origin and Etymology of sovereign
Middle English soverain, from Anglo-French soverein, from Vulgar Latin *superanus, from Latin super over, above — more at over
First Known Use: 14th century
Synonym Discussion of sovereign
Other Government and Politics Terms
SOVEREIGN Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of sovereign for English Language Learners
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: a king or queen
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: a British gold coin that was used in the past
Definition of sovereign for English Language Learners
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: having unlimited power or authority
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: not limited
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: having independent authority and the right to govern itself
SOVEREIGN Defined for Kids
Definition of sovereign for Students
1 : a person (as a king or queen) having the highest power and authority
2 : an old British gold coin
Definition of sovereign for Students
1 : highest in power or authority <a sovereign ruler>
2 : having independent authority <a sovereign state>
3 : of the most important kind <a sovereign duty>
Medical Dictionary
sovereign
playMedical Definition of sovereign
: having generalized curative powers <a sovereign remedy>
Law Dictionary
sovereign
Legal Definition of sovereign
: a person or political entity (as a nation or state) possessing or held to possess sovereignty <the doctrine that a sovereign could not be sued without its consent was universal in the States when the Constitution was drafted — Alden v. Maine, 527 U.S. 706 (1999)> — see also sovereign immunity at immunity
sovereign
Legal Definition of sovereign
1 : having supreme power <a sovereign ruler>
2 : enjoying autonomy <sovereign states>
3 : relating to, characteristic of, or befitting a sovereign
Learn More about sovereign
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sovereign Spanish Central: Translation of sovereign Nglish: Translation of sovereign for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sovereign for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sovereign
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