sovereignty
SOV-rin-tee
/ˈsɒvrɪnti/
Supreme power or political authority of a state to govern itself or another state.
Refers specifically to ultimate, untrammeled political independence free from external control.
The story behind the word. Sovereignty traces back through Old French soverainete to Vulgar Latin superanus, derived from Latin super ('above'). It originally described the absolute rank of a monarch, but evolved during the Enlightenment to describe a state's ultimate independent power.
Word relationships
- autonomy: Autonomy refers to self-rule within a system, whereas sovereignty implies total, supreme state authority.
- subjugation: Subjugation means complete submission to external authority, the opposite of sovereignty.
Commonly confused with
- autonomy: Sovereignty is absolute supreme power of a nation, while autonomy is self-governance often under a larger state umbrella.
Word family
- sovereign (noun): A supreme ruler or monarch.
- sovereign (adjective): Possessing supreme power or authority.
Collocations
- national sovereignty
- assert sovereignty
- infringe upon sovereignty
Idioms & expressions
- violation of sovereignty
Example sentences
- "The newly established republic fought fiercely to defend its territorial sovereignty against foreign intervention." Political History
Memory hook
A SOVEREIGN rules OVER ALL (super), possessing ultimate SOVEREIGNTY. Supreme power over a sovereign realm.
When not to use
Do not use to describe personal individual independence or informal workplace autonomy.
Fun facts
- The spelling of sovereignty was influenced by folk etymology associating it with 'reign', adding a 'g' not present in its original Latin root superanus.
Related words
Explore more words
sovereign, self-governing, autonomous, autonomy, independent, supremacy
Also appears in
- Leadership → Power & Dominance
- Law → Legal Systems & Constitutions
- Law → International Law & Treaties
- Philosophy → Justice & Political Philosophy
- Political Science & Governance → Geopolitics & International Relations
- Demographics & Urban Studies → Indigenous Populations
- Military Science & Warfare → Peacekeeping & UN Interventions
- Military Science & Warfare → Naval Warfare & Maritime Security
- Political Science & Governance → Regionalism & Decentralization
- Political Science & Governance → Secession & Separatism
- Political Science & Governance → Federalism vs Unitary States
- Sociology & Social Anthropology → Tribal Communities & Integration
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.