sovereignty

noun

ˈsä-v(ə-)rən-tē How to pronounce sovereignty (audio)
variants also sovranty
Definition of sovereigntynext
1
as in autonomy
the state of being free from the control or power of another upon leaving home she felt that she had achieved sovereignty for the first time in her life

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2
as in nation
a body of people composed of one or more nationalities usually with its own territory and government as parts of the same sovereignty, the states should not enact laws intended to harm one another economically

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3
as in dominion
controlling power or influence over others the gradual sovereignty of English as the language of international communication

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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 sovereignty Iceland voted against resuming talks to join the European Union, officials announced Sunday, as concerns over sovereignty trumped arguments for European integration. — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Opponents also rallied around the fact that Iceland already reaps benefits from being in the EU’s frictionless single market and the Schengen free-travel zone without the sovereignty compromises that come with full membership. — Kwiyeon Ha, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026 Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said any unilateral US action on Mexican soil would be a grave breach of her country’s sovereignty. — Reuters, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 Despite a slower start, Europe now appears increasingly focused on developing alternatives that reflect its own regulatory priorities, monetary sovereignty, and privacy standards. — Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sovereignty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sovereignty
  1. autonomy
  2. nation
  3. dominion
  4. independence
  5. state
  6. supremacy
  7. freedom
  8. country
Noun
  • Bareilles is mourning a few things — the deaths of close friends, dreams of easy fertility, assumptions of female autonomy, the American dream — but the music soars, more often than not.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Historically, the United States has sent mixed messages to Europeans, encouraging them to step up but then scolding them for seeking autonomy.
    — JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of autonomy
Noun
  • Tiani had pledged to improve security in the Sahel nation, a major uranium producer, but jihadist attacks have persisted.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Rescue teams in Nepal have located 187 tourists after deadly landslides ripped through the Himalayan nation on Wednesday, local officials said Saturday, with around 3,000 people still missing on both sides of the Nepal-China border.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of nation
Noun
  • Lutnick was on his way to Paris to meet with the Arnault family who, as part of their dominion over LVMH, run the Cheval Blanc hotel group.
    — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026
  • When Heilmann arrived in New York in 1968, minimalism, post-minimalism, and Conceptual art were turning the city into one enormous male dominion.
    — Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of dominion
Noun
  • Cyprus was split along ethnic lines in 1974, and Turkish Cypriots declared independence in 1983.
    — Andrew Wilks, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Lewis admitted that the experience has impacted not only her independence but her confidence as well.
    — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of independence
Noun
  • But at a hearing in May, Judge Steele granted the state’s request for access to Woods’ prescription drug records.
    — Bob Harkins, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • That year, five states carried out nine executions in the month of May.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of state
Noun
  • In gratifying the left, the Warren Court debilitated the long tradition of opposing judicial supremacy.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Still, Madison’s argument for them recognized the ways in which the people running each branch of government would try to maneuver for supremacy and the impact that would have on the people being governed.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of supremacy
Noun
  • In fact, the Book of Exodus is his jam here, focusing on Moses (Christian Bale), his close connection to Egyptian pharaoh Ramses (Joel Edgerton) and Moses' effort to lead the Israelites out of Egypt to freedom.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The International Press Institute, a nonprofit that aims to protect media freedom, recorded 26 incidents of attacks and threats in the five months to March.
    — Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of freedom
Noun
  • Some officials argue that would let Iceland keep control of its waters, since no EU country has fished there for decades.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Economic impact of low birth rates Persistently low birth rates could threaten a country’s ability to sustain its economy.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of country

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sovereignties
sovereignty
Sovietism
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Cite this Entry

“Sovereignty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sovereignty. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sovereignty

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sovereignty

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