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Sovereignty: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Sovereignty noun. Supreme power or authority, especially a country's right to govern itself without outside control.
How to say it
SOV-run-tee/ˈsɒvrənti/
3 syllables, stressed on the first (SOV).
Sovereignty in a sentence
The treaty left both nations arguing over sovereignty of a rock that only seabirds lived on.
Supporters saw the vote as a matter of national sovereignty, not economics.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- independence
- autonomy
- self-rule
- supremacy
Where sovereignty comes from
From Old French sovereinete, from soverain, ultimately from Latin super, above.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Supporters saw the vote as a matter of national _____, not economics.
- irredentism
- hoi polloi
- sovereignty
Show the answer
sovereignty: Supporters saw the vote as a matter of national sovereignty, not economics.