sovereign

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Related to sovereign: Sovereign nation, Sovereign wealth funds

sov·er·eign

(sŏv′ər-ĭn, sŏv′rĭn)

1. One that exercises supreme, permanent authority, especially in a nation or other governmental unit, as:

a. A king, queen, or other noble person who serves as chief of state; a ruler or monarch.

b. A national governing council or committee.

2. A nation that governs territory outside its borders.

3. A gold coin formerly used in Great Britain.

adj.

1. Self-governing; independent: a sovereign state.

2. Having supreme rank or power: a sovereign prince.

3. Paramount; supreme: Her sovereign virtue is compassion.

a. Of superlative strength or efficacy: a sovereign remedy.

b. Unmitigated: sovereign contempt.

[Middle English soverain, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *superānus, from Latin super, above; see uper in Indo-European roots.]

sov′er·eign·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

sovereign

(ˈsɒvrɪn)

1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) a person exercising supreme authority, esp a monarch

2. (Currencies) a former British gold coin worth one pound sterling

adj

3. supreme in rank or authority: a sovereign lord.

4. excellent or outstanding: a sovereign remedy.

5. of, relating to, or characteristic of a sovereign

6. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) independent of outside authority: a sovereign state.

[C13: from Old French soverain, from Vulgar Latin superānus (unattested), from Latin super above; also influenced by reign]

ˈsovereignly adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

sov•er•eign

(ˈsɒv rɪn, ˈsɒv ər ɪn, ˈsʌv-)

n.

1. a monarch or other supreme ruler.

2. a person who has sovereign power or authority.

3. a body of persons or a state having sovereign authority.

4. a gold coin of the United Kingdom, equal to one pound sterling: went out of circulation after 1914.

adj.

5. belonging to or characteristic of a sovereign or sovereignty; royal.

6. having supreme rank, power, or authority.

7. supreme; preeminent; indisputable: sovereign power; a sovereign right.

8. greatest in degree; utmost or extreme.

9. being above all others in character, importance, excellence, etc.

10. efficacious; potent: a sovereign remedy.

[1250–1300; < Old French < Vulgar Latin *superānus= Latin super- super- + -ānus -an¹]

sov′er•eign•ly, adv.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	sovereign - a nation's ruler or head of state usually by hereditary right crowned head, monarch Capetian - a member of the Capetian dynasty Carlovingian, Carolingian - a member of the Carolingian dynasty czar, tsar, tzar - a male monarch or emperor (especially of Russia prior to 1917) emperor - the male ruler of an empire chief of state, head of state - the chief public representative of a country who may also be the head of government king, male monarch, Rex - a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom Merovingian - a member of the Merovingian dynasty ruler, swayer - a person who rules or commands; "swayer of the universe" Shah, Shah of Iran - title for the former hereditary monarch of Iran
Adj.	1.	sovereign - (of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces; "an autonomous judiciary"; "a sovereign state" autonomous, self-governing, independent free - able to act at will; not hampered; not under compulsion or restraint; "free enterprise"; "a free port"; "a free country"; "I have an hour free"; "free will"; "free of racism"; "feel free to stay as long as you wish"; "a free choice"
	2.	sovereign - greatest in status or authority or power; "a supreme tribunal" supreme dominant - exercising influence or control; "television plays a dominant role in molding public opinion"; "the dominant partner in the marriage"

sovereign

adjective

1. independent, autonomous, self-governing, free, non-aligned, self-determining The Russian Federation declared itself to be a sovereign republic.

2. supreme, ruling, absolute, chief, royal, principal, dominant, imperial, unlimited, paramount, regal, predominant, monarchal, kingly or queenly No contract can absolutely restrain a sovereign power.

3. excellent, valuable, efficient, helpful, reliable, worthwhile, unfailing, efficacious, effectual wild garlic, a sovereign remedy in any healer's chest

noun

1. monarch, ruler, king or queen, chief, shah, potentate, supreme ruler, emperor or empress, prince or princess, tsar or tsarina the first British sovereign to set foot on Spanish soil

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

sovereign

adjective

Having political independence:

autonomous, free, independent, self-governing.

Translations

ذات سِيادَهمَلِك أو مَلِكَه

panovníksuverénnívládce-ice

monarkselvstændig

Souverän Regent

ηγεμόνας

soberano

erinomainenhallitsijaitsenäinenmonarkkisuvereeni

souverain

szuverén

fullvaldakonungur; drottning

sovrano sovrana

卓越した君主独立した自立した

suverenassuverenus

monarhssuverēnsvaldnieks

suveren

soberano

suveran

повелитель

suverénny

bağımsız egemen hükümdar

元首君主国王独立自主的

sovereign

[ˈsɒvrɪn]

A. ADJ

1. (= supreme) → soberano
with sovereign contempt → con soberano desprecio

2. (= self-governing) → soberano
sovereign state → estado m soberano

B. N

1. (= monarch) → soberano/a m/f

2. (Hist) (= coin) → soberano m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

sovereign

[ˈsɒvrɪn]

adj

(= autonomous) [state, country] → souverain(e)

(= supreme) [power, ruler] → souverain(e)

(= monarch) → souverain(e) m/f

(formerly) (= gold coin) → souverain m

sovereign

n (= monarch) → Souverän m, → Herrscher(in) m(f); (Brit, old: = coin) → 20-Shilling-Münze f

adj

(= supreme) → höchste(r, s), oberste(r, s); state, power → souverän; contempt → tiefste(r, s), äußerste(r, s); the sovereign power of the Pope → die Oberhoheit des Papstes; our sovereign Lord the King (old) → unser gnädiger Herr, der König

a sovereign remedy (lit, fig) → ein Allheilmittel nt → (for gegen)

(Fin) sovereign debt → Staatsschulden pl; sovereign lending → staatliche Kreditaufnahme

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

sovereign

[ˈsɒvrɪn]

1. adj (gen) → sovrano/a
with sovereign contempt (fig) → con sommo disprezzo
a sovereign remedy (old) → un rimedio infallibile

2. n (monarch) → sovrano/a; (coin) → sovrana

sovereign

(ˈsovrin) noun

a king or queen.

adjective

(of a country) self-governing. a sovereign state.

References in classic literature ?

There was a common head, chieftain, or sovereign, whose authority extended over the whole nation; and a number of subordinate vassals, or feudatories, who had large portions of land allotted to them, and numerous trains of INFERIOR vassals or retainers, who occupied and cultivated that land upon the tenure of fealty or obedience, to the persons of whom they held it.

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"Good Heavens!" exclaimed a Sovereign Elector, on hearing the resolutions read, "what a loss to the nation!

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Miss Bartlett, who was poor at figures, became bewildered and rendered up the sovereign, amidst the suppressed gurgles of the other youths.

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Sun Tzu said: In war, the general receives his commands from the sovereign, collects his army and concentrates his forces

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Jealousy and the ambition and intrigue of another officer had lost him the favor of his emperor, and he had been detailed to this frontier post as a mark of his sovereign's displeasure.

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Notwithstanding the want of proper sympathy in every instance between the local sovereigns and the people, and the sympathy in some instances between the general sovereign and the latter, it usually happened that the local sovereigns prevailed in the rivalship for encroachments.

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"Come, Josh," he said, in a cajoling tone, "give us a spoonful of brandy, and a sovereign to pay the way back, and I'll go.

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- It was but man, I thought, who shed Laurels upon me: and the rush - The torrent of the chilly air Gurgled within my ear the crush Of empires - with the captive's prayer - The hum of suiters - and the tone Of flattery 'round a sovereign's throne.

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All the efforts of those who surrounded the sovereign seemed directed merely to making him spend his time pleasantly and forget that war was impending.

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A malady that was formerly cured by the touch of the sovereign, but has now to be treated by the physicians.

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The true marshalling of the degrees of sovereign honor, are these: In the first place are conditores imperiorum, founders of states and commonwealths; such as were Romulus, Cyrus, Caesar, Ottoman, Ismael.

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``Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe,'' said the gallant Outlaw, stepping forward, ``my assurances can add nothing to those of our sovereign; yet, let me say somewhat proudly, that of men who have suffered much, he hath not truer subjects than those who now stand around him.''