sovereignty
noun
sov·er·eign·ty
ˈsä-v(ə-)rən-tē 
-vərn-tē,
also ˈsə-
variants
or less commonly sovranty
plural sovereignties also sovranties
1
a
: supreme power especially over a body politic
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
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
You’re definitely not allowed to claim sovereignty.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024
This resilience not only reduces downtime but also supports compliance with strict data sovereignty and regulatory requirements, making Azure Local a robust solution for mission-critical environments.
—Janakiram Msv, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
The question of their return resurfaced in 2019, when Mauritius won sovereignty over the territory from the U.K. at the International Court of Justice.
—Lorraine Mallinder, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Nov. 2024
But his foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said that while no decision has been made on Israeli sovereignty, the issue could come up in talks with the Trump administration.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sovereignty 
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Katie Hunt, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024
This resilience not only reduces downtime but also supports compliance with strict data sovereignty and regulatory requirements, making Azure Local a robust solution for mission-critical environments.
—Janakiram Msv, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
The question of their return resurfaced in 2019, when Mauritius won sovereignty over the territory from the U.K. at the International Court of Justice.
—Lorraine Mallinder, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Nov. 2024
But his foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said that while no decision has been made on Israeli sovereignty, the issue could come up in talks with the Trump administration.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sovereignty
Dictionary Entries Near sovereignty
Cite this Entry
“Sovereignty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sovereignty. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sovereignty
noun
sov·er·eign·ty
ˈsäv-(ə-)rən-tē
ˈsäv-ərn-,
ˈsəv-
plural sovereignties
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