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
That trend was underscored in January, when Taiwanese voters shrugged off warnings by China and handed the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) a historic third term by electing Lai Ching-te, who has long faced Beijing’s wrath for championing Taiwan’s sovereignty.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
This requirement is said to violate the principles of federalism by undermining state sovereignty.
—Matthew Erskine, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
But consumer spending isn’t roaring back just yet In Malaysia, where planning for a high-speed railway with neighboring Singapore is taking place, many experts have continually voiced strong opposition and exercised caution about sovereignty.
—Heather Chen, CNN, 26 Mar. 2024
The fact that Elizabeth II lived until the age of 96, and died within 48 hours of her last official engagement, had in it a touch of the mystical perpetuity of sovereignty.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2024
Since at least 2017, after a similar border skirmish, the possibility that Chinese consumer technology might pose a risk to India’s sovereignty had been circulating in national security circles.
—Suhasini Raj, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Beijing, which claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, has maintained that Philippine vessels are intruding in its territory.
—Reuters, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2024
This ambiguity fostered cooperation during the Cold War, allowing the United States and the Soviet Union to agree to disagree on matters of territorial sovereignty and still expand their footprints on the continent.
—Elizabeth Buchanan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024
Ukraine also surrendered its nuclear arsenal in exchange for guarantees, including from Russia, that the country’s territorial sovereignty would be respected.
—David L. Stern, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
Nectar Gan, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
This requirement is said to violate the principles of federalism by undermining state sovereignty.
—Matthew Erskine, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
But consumer spending isn’t roaring back just yet In Malaysia, where planning for a high-speed railway with neighboring Singapore is taking place, many experts have continually voiced strong opposition and exercised caution about sovereignty.
—Heather Chen, CNN, 26 Mar. 2024
The fact that Elizabeth II lived until the age of 96, and died within 48 hours of her last official engagement, had in it a touch of the mystical perpetuity of sovereignty.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2024
Since at least 2017, after a similar border skirmish, the possibility that Chinese consumer technology might pose a risk to India’s sovereignty had been circulating in national security circles.
—Suhasini Raj, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Beijing, which claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, has maintained that Philippine vessels are intruding in its territory.
—Reuters, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2024
This ambiguity fostered cooperation during the Cold War, allowing the United States and the Soviet Union to agree to disagree on matters of territorial sovereignty and still expand their footprints on the continent.
—Elizabeth Buchanan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024
Ukraine also surrendered its nuclear arsenal in exchange for guarantees, including from Russia, that the country’s territorial sovereignty would be respected.
—David L. Stern, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
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.
Dictionary Entries Near sovereignty
Cite this Entry
“Sovereignty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sovereignty. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sovereignty
noun
sov·er·eign·ty
ˈsäv-(ə-)rən-tē
ˈsäv-ərn-,
ˈsəv-
plural sovereignties
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share