Sovereign definition

sŏvər-ĭn, sŏvrĭn
sovereigns
See word origin
Frequency:
Self-governing; independent.

A sovereign state.

adjective
32
8
Having supreme rank or power.

A sovereign prince.

adjective
19
5
A gold coin formerly used in Great Britain.
noun
15
9
A nation that governs territory outside its borders.
noun
18
13
One who is not a subject to a ruler or nation.
noun
5
0
Advertisement
Exceptional in quality.
adjective
4
1
One that exercises supreme, permanent authority, especially in a nation or other governmental unit, as:
  • A king, queen, or other noble person who serves as chief of state; a ruler or monarch.
  • A national governing council or committee.
noun
12
10
Above or superior to all others; chief; greatest; supreme.
adjective
4
2
Of superlative strength or efficacy.

A sovereign remedy.

adjective
3
1
Paramount; supreme.

Her sovereign virtue is compassion.

adjective
2
0
Advertisement
Supreme in power, rank, or authority.
adjective
2
0
Independent of all others.

A sovereign state.

adjective
2
0
A person who possesses sovereign authority or power; specif., a monarch or ruler.
noun
2
0
A British gold coin valued at 20 shillings or one pound sterling, no longer minted for circulation.
noun
2
0
Excellent; outstanding.
adjective
2
1
Advertisement
Sovereign is defined as ruler with unlimited power, the chief or greatest, or independent.

A king is an example of someone with sovereign powers.

The value that is most important to a company is an example of something sovereign.

A country that has become independent is an example of something sovereign.

adjective
1
0
Unmitigated.

Sovereign contempt.

adjective
1
0
Of or holding the position of ruler; royal; reigning.
adjective
1
0
A person, state, or group that is preeminent and independent of the will of others; the ruler of an autocratic state. See also sovereignty.
noun
1
0
Exercising power of rule.

Sovereign nation.

adjective
1
0
Advertisement
(now rare) Extremely potent or effective (of a medicine, remedy etc.).
adjective
1
0
Having supreme, ultimate power.
adjective
1
0
Any butterfly of the tribe Nymphalini, or genusBasilarchia, as the ursula and the viceroy.
noun
1
1
The definition of a sovereign is a king or queen, or a 19th century gold coin used in the UK.

An example of a sovereign is Queen Elizabeth.

A British gold coin worth 20 shillings in 1895 is an example of a sovereign.

noun
0
0
(finance) Of or having to do with the economy or finances of a national government.

Greece's sovereign debt.

adjective
0
0
Advertisement
Princely; royal.
adjective
0
0
Predominant; greatest; utmost; paramount.
adjective
0
0
A monarch; the ruler of a country.
noun
0
0
A gold coin formerly used in the United Kingdom.
noun
0
0
A very large champagne bottle with the capacity of about 25 liters, equivalent to 33â…“ standard bottles.
noun
0
0
Advertisement
Very effectual, as a cure or remedy.
adjective
2
3

Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
sovereign
Plural:
sovereigns

Adjective

Base Form:
sovereign
Superlative:
sovereignest

Origin of sovereign

  • Middle English soverain from Old French from Vulgar Latin superānus from Latin super above uper in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Old French soverain (whence also modern French souverain), from Vulgar Latin root *superānus (cf. Italian sovrano, Spanish soberano) from Latin super (“above"). Spelling influenced by folk-etymology association with reign. See also suzerain.

    From Wiktionary

Sovereign Sentence Examples

  • Yet Greece was the sovereign power in all the world of ancient culture.

  • The age of majority of the sovereign is eighteen.

  • Under a kingly government office bestowed by the sovereign holds the same place which office bestowed by the people holds in a popular government.

  • When he was presented to his former sovereign, George III.

  • His exile, however, was brief, and some years after his return he became involved in a dispute with his sovereign, Christian III., king of Denmark, because he refused to further the progress of Lutheranism in the island.

More sentences

Related articles

Words near sovereign in the Dictionary