sovereignty

Intermediatezipf 3.86

Pronunciation

/ˈsɒvrɪnti/(SOV-rin-tee)

Part of speech

nounpolitical science / law

Chinese

主权；最高统治权

Definition

Supreme power or authority, especially of a state to govern itself; the authority of a state to govern its territory without external interference.

Word family

  • sovereign/ˈsɒvrɪn/(adj/n)至高的；君主
  • sovereignly(adv)

Collocations

  • national sovereignty
  • state sovereignty
  • sovereignty over territory
  • sovereignty dispute
  • assert sovereignty
  • parliamentary sovereignty

Examples

  1. 1.Brexit was fundamentally a sovereignty debate — whether the UK should reclaim legislative power from EU institutions. (national self-governance)
  2. 2.China asserts sovereignty over the South China Sea, a claim contested by several neighbouring countries and international tribunals. (territorial authority)

Synonyms

  • autonomy/ɔːˈtɒnəmi/— self-governance
  • independence/ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəns/— freedom from external control
  • supremacy/suːˈprɛməsi/— highest authority

Etymology

from Old French "souveraineté" — from "souverain" (supreme) — from Latin "superanus" (chief, principal) — the one above all others