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sovereign

SOV-rin ˈsɒvrɪn

adjectivenounB2GRESATUPSC

formalacademic

Possessing supreme or independent political authority; a monarch or independent ruler.

Refers to absolute independence from external control in governing a territory or nation.

The story behind the word. The term derived from the Vulgar Latin 'superanus', meaning 'chief' or 'principal', which came from 'super' meaning 'above'. It evolved into Old French as 'soverain' before entering Middle English. The spelling was influenced by a false historical association with the word 'reign'.

Word relationships

autonomous: Autonomous means self-governing, whereas sovereign emphasizes absolute supreme authority.
independent: Independent is a broader general term, whereas sovereign specifically references political authority.

subordinate: Subordinate denotes lower rank or subject to another power.
dependent: Dependent indicates reliance on or governance by an external authority.

Commonly confused with

supreme: Supreme means highest in rank; sovereign specifically implies legitimate governmental power.

Word family

sovereignty (noun): Supreme power or authority over a nation or state.

Collocations

sovereign state
sovereign debt
sovereign immunity
sovereign nation

Example sentences

"The constitution explicitly declares that political power originates from the sovereign nation." Constitutional Law
"In Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan, the sovereign holds absolute authority to prevent chaotic conflict." Historical Political Theory

Memory hook

Think of a 'sovereign' king sitting 'above' (super) everyone else in his kingdom. Sovereign = Super power over a nation.

When not to use

Do not use to describe simple managerial authority within a company or classroom.

Fun facts

The extra 'g' in sovereign was inserted during the 14th century because scribes mistakenly thought it was related to the verb 'reign'.