LookItUp

sovereign

Meaning in simple English, pronunciation and examples

Pronunciation: US /ˈsɑːvrən/ · UK /ˈsɒvrɪn/

sovereign means: Able to govern itself without being controlled by another country.

adjective

INDEPENDENT COUNTRYC1

Able to govern itself without being controlled by another country.

  • The island became a sovereign state.
  • Each sovereign country makes its own laws.
  • The treaty recognizes their right to remain sovereign.

Similar words: independent, self-governing

Opposites: dependent

Common phrases: sovereign state, sovereign nation, sovereign country

SUPREME POWERC1

Having the highest power to rule or make decisions.

  • The queen held sovereign power.
  • In this system, parliament is sovereign.
  • The people claimed sovereign authority over their government.

Similar words: supreme

Opposites: subordinate

Common phrases: sovereign power, sovereign authority, sovereign ruler, sovereign rights

EXCEPTIONAL QUALITYC2

Extremely good or better than everything else of its kind.

  • Patience was her sovereign virtue.
  • The poet praised the sovereign beauty of the landscape.
  • His sovereign skill set him apart from every other musician.

Similar words: outstanding, supreme, excellent

Common phrases: sovereign talent, sovereign virtue, sovereign excellence

noun

MONARCHC1

A king, queen, or other ruler with the highest authority in a country.

  • The sovereign entered the palace.
  • Every coin showed the reigning sovereign.
  • The new sovereign promised to protect her subjects.

How to use it: sovereign of somewhere (She became sovereign of the kingdom at twenty.)

Similar words: monarch, ruler

Opposites: subject

Common phrases: reigning sovereign, the sovereign, sovereign of something

GOLD COINC2

A British gold coin with an official value of one pound.

  • He found a gold sovereign.
  • The collector bought three sovereigns at the auction.
  • This sovereign was minted during the queen’s reign.

Common phrases: gold sovereign, British sovereign, buy a sovereign

INDEPENDENT PERSONC2

A person who is not under the authority of any ruler or country.

  • He declared himself an independent sovereign.
  • The essay imagines each person as a sovereign owing allegiance to no nation.
  • She claimed to be a sovereign rather than a subject of the king.

Opposites: subject

Common phrases: individual sovereign, independent sovereign, a free sovereign

Questions about sovereign

What does sovereign mean?

Able to govern itself without being controlled by another country.

What is sovereign in other languages?

Türkçe: egemen · Español: soberano · Français: souverain · Deutsch: souverän · Italiano: sovrano · 日本語: 主権を持つ

How do you pronounce sovereign?

In American English /ˈsɑːvrən/; in British English /ˈsɒvrɪn/.

How do you use sovereign in a sentence?

The island became a sovereign state. Each sovereign country makes its own laws.

Learn sovereign while you read

LookItUp shows the meaning that fits your sentence, in your language, and turns new words into quick practice cards.

Coming soon on the App Store LookItUp app for iPhone and iPad

Phrases with sovereign

sovereign in other languages

More words