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
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
But Orbán’s quest for sovereignty – spurning EU efforts to diversify its energy supplies – has left his country perilously dependent on one country for fossil fuels.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Shorter batteries cost less, weigh less, and consume fewer raw materials, all helping sustainability and industrial sovereignty.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Maduro, meanwhile, has framed the buildup as a prelude to invasion and praised Venezuela’s readiness to defend its sovereignty.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Tiffany has given assurances that the national park designation will not affect tribal treaty rights or sovereignty, and tribal members will continue to be able to hunt and fish on land and waterways that were once Ojibwe territory.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sovereignty
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Shorter batteries cost less, weigh less, and consume fewer raw materials, all helping sustainability and industrial sovereignty.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Maduro, meanwhile, has framed the buildup as a prelude to invasion and praised Venezuela’s readiness to defend its sovereignty.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Tiffany has given assurances that the national park designation will not affect tribal treaty rights or sovereignty, and tribal members will continue to be able to hunt and fish on land and waterways that were once Ojibwe territory.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sovereignty
Cite this Entry
“Sovereignty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sovereignty. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sovereignty
noun
sov·er·eign·ty
ˈsäv-(ə-)rən-tē
ˈsäv-ərn-,
ˈsəv-
plural sovereignties
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