Definition of SOVEREIGNTY (original) (raw)
1
b
: freedom from external control : autonomy
c
: controlling influence
2
: one that is sovereign
especially : an autonomous state
3
obsolete : supreme excellence or an example of it
Synonyms
Examples of sovereignty in a Sentence
Nor was the sovereignty of the Native Hawaiian race recognized at the time Hawaii became a state. —
Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, 18 July 2005 Cesaire's wrenching chant of self-affirmation announced a new era of intellectual and cultural sovereignty for black writers in French. —Lila Azam Zanganeh, New York Times Book Review, 12 June 2005 The position plunged him into a supremely complicated religious and political game. Throughout Europe the old order of divinely sanctioned kingdoms was battling models of popular sovereignty and citizenship inspired by the Enlightenment, the French Revolution and the adolescent U.S. —David Van Biema, Time, 4 Sept. 2000
upon leaving home she felt that she had achieved sovereignty for the first time in her life as parts of the same sovereignty, the states should not enact laws intended to harm one another economically
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This gives countries true financial sovereignty impossible with traditional reserve assets like gold or foreign currencies. —Andrey Sergeenkov, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024 The moves sparked a wave of opprobrium from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which accused Israel of attacking Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024 The ships are critically needed by the Navy, especially in the Indo-Pacific, where tensions have risen between the U.S. and China over access to shipping lanes and the sovereignty of Taiwan. —Gary Robbins, The Mercury News, 9 Dec. 2024 Meanwhile, Iran has also responded, in a statement released on Sunday the Iranian Foreign Ministry reaffirmed Iran's policy to respect the unity, national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, according to Tasnim, adding that only Syrians can decide the future of their country. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sovereignty 
Word History
Etymology
Middle English soverainte, from Anglo-French sovereinté, from soverein — see sovereign entry 2
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Time Traveler
The first known use of sovereignty was in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near sovereignty
Cite this Entry
“Sovereignty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sovereignty. Accessed 29 Dec. 2024.
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Last Updated: 20 Dec 2024 - Updated example sentences
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