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 sense 1
c
: controlling influence
2
: one that is sovereign
especially
: an autonomous state : autonomy sense 2
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
That requires investment not only in governance frameworks that protect sovereignty, privacy, and equitable benefit-sharing, but also in the digital infrastructure, research institutions, and technical talent needed to move from data generation to AI development and deployment.
—Francisca Mutapi, semafor.com, 18 May 2026
There is tension between the two over trade and tariffs, and over China’s claims to sovereignty over Taiwan.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 18 May 2026
This sample represents a broad universe of 17,000 organizations leading the AI and data sovereignty revolution.
—Ethan Stone, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Cuba has long defended its decision to shoot down the planes, insisting that Brothers to the Rescue had encroached on the country's sovereignty.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sovereignty
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Francisca Mutapi, semafor.com, 18 May 2026
There is tension between the two over trade and tariffs, and over China’s claims to sovereignty over Taiwan.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 18 May 2026
This sample represents a broad universe of 17,000 organizations leading the AI and data sovereignty revolution.
—Ethan Stone, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Cuba has long defended its decision to shoot down the planes, insisting that Brothers to the Rescue had encroached on the country's sovereignty.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sovereignty
Cite this Entry
“Sovereignty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sovereignty. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sovereignty
noun
sov·er·eign·ty
ˈsäv-(ə-)rən-tē
ˈsäv-ərn-,
ˈsəv-
plural sovereignties
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