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 sense 1
c
: controlling influence
2
: one that is sovereign
especially
: an autonomous state : autonomy sense 2
3
obsolete
: supreme excellence or an example of it
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
After some revisions, the Continental Congress on July 2 voted to accept the declaration of our national sovereignty.
—
Richard Lederer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 July 2026
There has also been a lot of talk about sovereignty issues in the AI sphere.
—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
3 July 2026
The move prompted Lula to again defend Brazil's sovereignty, a discourse that last year struck a chord and gave Lula an unexpected boost of popularity.
—
ABC News,
3 July 2026
To build solidarity for their cause of sovereignty, some patriots called on colonialists to swear off tea in favor of coffee.
—
James Doubek,
NPR,
3 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for sovereignty
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Richard Lederer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 July 2026
There has also been a lot of talk about sovereignty issues in the AI sphere.
—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
3 July 2026
The move prompted Lula to again defend Brazil's sovereignty, a discourse that last year struck a chord and gave Lula an unexpected boost of popularity.
—
ABC News,
3 July 2026
To build solidarity for their cause of sovereignty, some patriots called on colonialists to swear off tea in favor of coffee.
—
James Doubek,
NPR,
3 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for sovereignty
Cite this Entry
“Sovereignty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sovereignty. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sovereignty
noun
sov·er·eign·ty
ˈsäv-(ə-)rən-tē
ˈsäv-ərn-,
ˈsəv-
plural sovereignties
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