sovereign 1 of 2

variants also sovran
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2

sovereign

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noun

variants also sovran

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective sovereign contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sovereign are autonomous, free, and independent. While all these words mean "not subject to the rule or control of another," sovereign stresses the absence of a superior power and implies supremacy within a thing's own domain or sphere.

separate and sovereign armed services

Where would autonomous be a reasonable alternative to sovereign?

The meanings of autonomous and sovereign largely overlap; however, autonomous stresses independence in matters pertaining to self-government.

in this denomination each congregation is regarded as autonomous

When would free be a good substitute for sovereign?

While the synonyms free and sovereign are close in meaning, free stresses the complete absence of external rule and the full right to make all of one's own decisions.

you're free to do as you like

When is independent a more appropriate choice than sovereign?

In some situations, the words independent and sovereign are roughly equivalent. However, independent implies a standing alone; applied to a state it implies lack of connection with any other having power to interfere with its citizens, laws, or policies.

the colony's struggle to become independent

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sovereign
Adjective
Despite a peacekeeping force, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military offensive on the sovereign territory in September 2023, which led to the displacement of nearly the entire Artsakh population, some 120,000, to Armenia. Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025 Quinn Emanuel has counted the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, called the Public Investment Fund, as a client. Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
Suing Saudi Arabia simply wasn’t possible for years because there was no legal avenue to sue a foreign sovereign in the U.S. courts. Michael Loria, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025 Around the same time, William and Kate attended a commemorative event for the late sovereign less than 10 miles away in Sunningdale. Max Foster, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sovereign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sovereign
Adjective
  • His officials at the time, including Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger, made Beijing their main priority.
    Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Reinhart, Apa, Petsch, and Mendes were four of only six Riverdale main cast members to stay on for the full series run.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The push for fully autonomous systems, agents that plan, reason, and act without human oversight, has created an automation theater where demos impress, but production systems disappoint.
    Joel Hron, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Larger mushroom systems could find applications in edge computing and aerospace exploration, while smaller iterations might enhance autonomous systems and wearable devices.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • With the sun and your celestial ruler, Venus, moving through your seventh house of other people, everything from your connections, whether romantic, professional or otherwise, to your contractual agreements is at the forefront.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
  • The history books say that the French colonial regime exercised firm control over the emperor until the Japanese invasion ended French administration in Indochina in 1945; Bao Dai remained as an essentially powerless ruler until the Viet Minh seized power a few months later.
    Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Two guest bedrooms can be found downstairs, while four more upstairs bedrooms include a secluded primary retreat that comes with a fireplace, a dressing room, and dual baths.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2025
  • This corner room offered the perfect view to keep watch over Main Street and the primary north-south international highway.
    Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In May 2016, police collected DNA evidence from Clay after he was arrested on separate theft charges.
    Kelsey Lentz, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Radiolarians were visible throughout the book, which was published as separate volumes between 1899 and 1904 and finally as a complete edition in 1904 with one hundred full-page lithographs.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The exhibit is the first royal gallery in France and was built by King Louis XIV, the French monarch who ruled from 1643 to 1715.
    Melina Khan, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Andrew became a prince automatically at birth, as the son of the then reigning monarch, and that status can only be changed if King Charles issues a directive known as a Letters Patent.
    Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Goodall was seen as the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees after spending decades studying them in the wild in Tanzania's Gombe Stream National Park.
    Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The 2019 Nationals aren’t even the foremost road warriors of the last few years.
    Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The McClatchy Commerce Content team, which is independent from our newsroom, oversees this content.
    Calesa Township, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Then, as president, Joe Biden twice said that the people of Taiwan should decide whether to be independent.
    STEPHEN WERTHEIM, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sovereign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sovereign. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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