sovereign en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈsɑvɚn/ (General-American)
- (US) audio
- /ˈsɒv.ɹɪn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈsɑv(ə)ɹɪn/ (General-American)
Etymology
From Middle English sovereyn, from Old French soverain (whence also modern French souverain), from Vulgar Latin *superānus (compare Italian sovrano, Spanish soberano) from Latin super (“above”). Spelling influenced by folk-etymology association with reign. Doublet of soprano, from the same Latin root via Italian. Doublet of souverain. See also suzerain, foreign.
Meanings
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Exercising power of rule.
sovereign nation
Native American nations have often been described as sovereign nations, although as regards present-day diplomacy they are, more precisely speaking, autonomous.
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Exercising power of rule. ▸ Having supreme, ultimate power; (often specifically, of a polity) having fully independent power in international relations.
sovereign country
You're the keeper of the castle So be a father to your children The provider of all their daily needs Like a sovereign Lord protector Be their destiny's director And they'll do well to follow where you lead.
1972, Brian Potter, Dennis Lambert, “Keeper of the Castle”, performed by The Four Tops:Gentlemen, may I introduce Her Royal Highness, the Sovereign and Most Imperial Majesty, Empress Elizabeth of Vicron.
Near-synonym: supreme
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Exceptional in quality.
Her voice was her sovereign talent.
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(archaic) Extremely potent or effective (of a medicine, remedy etc.).
The ſoueraigne weede betwixt two marbles plaine She pownded ſmall, and did in peeces bruze, And then atweene her lilly handes twaine, Into his wound the iuyce thereof did ſcruze […]
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto V”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:Homer of Moly and Nepenthe singes: Moly, the gods most soveraigne hearbe divine. Nepenth Hellen's drink, which gladnes brings,— Hart's greife repells, and doth yᵉ witts refine.
1876, John Davies, “[Tobacco.]”, in Alexander B[alloch] Grosart, editor, The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Edited, with Memorial-Introduction and Notes, by the Rev. Alexander B. Grosart. In Two Volumes (Early English Poets), volume II, London: Chatto and Windus, Piccadilly, →OCLC, page 226:[…] God save the mark!— And telling me the sovereign’st thing on earth Was parmaceti for an inward bruise;
c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:In Spain people still bathe in the sea or roll naked in the dew of the meadows on St. John’s Eve, believing that this is a sovereign preservative against diseases of the skin.
1900, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 3, page 297:Such a sovereign influence has this passion upon the regulation of the lives and actions of men.
1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London:a sovereign remedy
1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page number):
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Princely; royal.
You pity not the state, nor the remembrance of his most sovereign name.
c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
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Predominant; greatest; utmost; paramount.
We acknowledge him [God] our sovereign good.
[1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page):
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sovring | alternative, pronunciation-spelling | lexicographic | |
| soveraign | alternative, archaic | lexicographic | |
| more sovereign | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most sovereign | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| sovran | alternative, archaic | lexicographic | |
| soveraigne | alternative, archaic | lexicographic | |
| sovrin | alternative, pronunciation-spelling | lexicographic |
Coordinates
autonomous · semisovereign · self-governing
Deriveds
sovereign territory · omnisovereign · sovereign bond · sovereigndom · nonsovereign · sovereign ring · sovereign citizen · sovereign debt · intersovereign · sovereigness · sovereign state · sovereignship · sovereignize · sovereignness · sovereignism · cosovereign · sovereignly · sovereign immunity · sovereign wealth fund · intrasovereign · unsovereign · undersovereign · sovereignist · sovereignhood · sovereignization
Synonyms
Translations (94)
ky суверенитеттүү (exercising power of rule) · uz mustaqil (exercising power of rule) · tr egemen (exercising power of rule) · sk zvrchovaný (exercising power of rule) · ro suveran (exercising power of rule) · ga ceannasach (exercising power of rule) · uz suveren (exercising power of rule) · ko 자주적 (exercising power of rule) · grc ἀρχικός (exercising power of rule) · ca sobirà (exercising power of rule) · sl suveren (exercising power of rule) · nl soeverein (exercising power of rule) · ka დამოუკიდებელი (exercising power of rule) · be сувэрэ́нны (exercising power of rule) · el κυρίαρχος (exercising power of rule) · kk егемен (exercising power of rule) · hi स्वायत्त (exercising power of rule) · ro suveran (exceptional in quality) · ug مۇستەقىل (exercising power of rule) · ar مُسْتَقِلّ (exercising power of rule) · nb suveren (exercising power of rule) · it eccezionale (exceptional in quality) · lt suverenus (exercising power of rule) · eo suverena (exercising power of rule) · cmn 自主的 (exercising power of rule) · hu szuverén (exercising power of rule) · kk егеменді (exercising power of rule) · hy ինքնիշխան (exercising power of rule) · bg сувере́нен (exercising power of rule) · ru сувере́нный (exercising power of rule) · ko 독립되다 (exercising power of rule) · te సర్వసత్తాక (exercising power of rule) · fi ylivertainen (exceptional in quality) · mk суверен (exercising power of rule) · fi suvereeni (exceptional in quality) · sh су̀верен (exercising power of rule) · ja 卓越した (exceptional in quality) · cmn 獨立的 /独立的 (exercising power of rule) · ka სრულუფლებიანი (exercising power of rule) · et suveräänne (exercising power of rule) · ps مستقل (exercising power of rule) · gv ard-reeoil (exercising power of rule) · ky эгемен (exercising power of rule) · it sovrano (exercising power of rule) · el ηγεμονικός (exercising power of rule) · fi erinomainen (exceptional in quality) · es soberano (exercising power of rule) · ja 独立した (exercising power of rule) · te సార్వభౌమ (exercising power of rule) · fi itsenäinen (exercising power of rule) · vo soveränik (exercising power of rule) · fa مستقل (exercising power of rule) · bg превъзхо́ден (exceptional in quality) · ka სუვერენული (exercising power of rule) · cs suverénní (exercising power of rule) · is fullvalda (exercising power of rule) · hi सार्वभौम (exercising power of rule) · oc sobeiran (exercising power of rule) · ga ardcheannasach (exercising power of rule) · cs svrchovaný (exercising power of rule) · sq sovran (exercising power of rule) · id berdaulat (exercising power of rule) · ja 自立した (exercising power of rule) · fr souverain (exercising power of rule) · ja 自主的な (exercising power of rule) · fi suvereeni (exercising power of rule) · ast soberanu (exercising power of rule) · da suveræn (exercising power of rule) · sv självständig (exercising power of rule) · az müstəqil (exercising power of rule) · pl suwerenny (exercising power of rule) · it supremo (exceptional in quality) · tg мустақил (exercising power of rule) · fi täysivaltainen (exercising power of rule) · ia soveran (exercising power of rule) · sv suverän (exercising power of rule) · gl soberano (exercising power of rule) · ky эгемендик (exercising power of rule) · tr müstakil (exercising power of rule) · lv suverēns (exercising power of rule) · pt soberano (exercising power of rule) · uk сувере́нний (exercising power of rule) · sh sùveren (exercising power of rule) · vi chủ quyền (exercising power of rule) · ru превосхо́дный (exceptional in quality) · de souverän (exercising power of rule) · eu subirano (exercising power of rule) · pl niezależny (exercising power of rule) · ka სრულძალაუფლებიანი (exercising power of rule) · az suveren (exercising power of rule) · sk suverénny (exercising power of rule) · sv suverän (exceptional in quality) · pl niepodległy (exercising power of rule) · ky суверендүү (exercising power of rule)