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 This reflects the complex dynamics at play as countries seek to balance technological sovereignty with the realities of global supply chains. —Yuval Boger, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024 Russia invaded Ukraine and has a military and economic partnership with China, though Beijing reasserted its longstanding support for every country’s sovereignty without criticizing Russia in a recent briefing paper for the U.N. meetings. —Edith M. Lederer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024 Americans were furious at the insult to national sovereignty and clamored for war. —Lindsay M. Chervinsky / Made By History, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024 Co-directed by Brenda Michell, Michael Toledano, and Jennifer Wickham, the docu captures the Wet’suwet’en nation’s right to stewardship and sovereignty over their territories. —Addie Morfoot, Variety, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sovereignty 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sovereignty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 1 Oct. 2024.
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Last Updated: 27 Sep 2024 - Updated example sentences
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