Sovereignty
noun /ˈsɒv.rɪn.ti/ — Supreme authority or power; the right of a state to self-governance.
Definition
Supreme power or authority. The authority of a state to govern itself, or the right of a person over their own domain. Sovereignty is not just power — it is the legitimacy of that power, the recognition that the authority is valid.
Beyond the definition
Sovereignty over yourself — bodily autonomy, the right to decide — is the most fundamental political question. All other political questions orbit it.
Origin & history
Old French: 'soverain' (supreme). From Latin: 'superanus' (above). The concept of absolute sovereignty was articulated by Jean Bodin in the 16th century and has been contested ever since.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
National sovereignty was the principle invoked; the reality was more complicated.
She had claimed sovereignty over her own decisions at eighteen and never relinquished it.
Sovereignty, Hobbes argued, must be absolute to be real — partial sovereignty is no sovereignty at all.
Synonyms
Antonyms
subjugation, colonisation, dependency
Related words
Sovereignty vs autonomy
Sovereignty implies the absolute, supreme power of a state to govern itself. Autonomy refers to the practical, limited freedom of an entity to manage its internal affairs within a larger structure.
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Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Walking Alone on Mountain Ridge
An adult walks alone along a high, narrow mountain ridge path with a simple wooden staff.
The walker’s absolute control over their own path represents sovereignty, where they govern their own domain and movement with legitimacy, independent of external influence or authority.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration