Meaning & use

sovereign

adjective·Academic

Possessing supreme, independent power or authority, especially over a territory, free from outside control.

See it in a sentence

The treaty recognized the small island nation as a fully sovereign state.

Parliament debated whether the new law respected the country's sovereign right to set its own trade policy.

A note on using this word

As a noun, a sovereign is a king, queen, or other supreme ruler, a meaning closely related to the adjective.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. noun

A supreme ruler, such as a king or queen.

The sovereign addressed the nation on the anniversary of her coronation.

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