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sovereign

 - 6 dictionary results

sov⋅er⋅eign

  [sov-rin, sov-er-in, suhv-]
Use sovereign in a Sentence
–noun
1. a monarch; a king, queen, or other supreme ruler.
2. a person who has sovereign power or authority.
3. a group or 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.
–adjective
5. belonging to or characteristic of a sovereign or sovereignty; royal.
6. having supreme rank, power, or authority.
7. supreme; preeminent; indisputable: 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.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME soverain (alter. by influence of reign ) < OF soverain < VL *superānus, equiv. to L super- super- + -ānus -an

Related forms:
sov⋅er⋅eign⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. emperor, empress, potentate. 3. government. 5. regal, majestic, imperial, princely, monarchical, kingly, queenly. 7. chief, paramount, principal, predominant. 10. effective, effectual.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To sovereign
sov·er·eign   (sŏv'ər-ĭn, sŏv'rĭn)   
n.  

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

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

    2. 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.

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

    2. 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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

sovereign 
c.1280, from O.Fr. soverain, from V.L. *superanus "chief, principal," from L. super "over" (see super-). Spelling influenced by folk-etymology association with reign. Milton spelled it sovran, as though from It. sovrano. Meaning "gold coin worth 22s 6d" first recorded 1490s; value changed 1817 to 1 pound. As an adj., attested from 1330; of remedies or medicines, "potent in a high degree," from 1377.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: sov·er·eign
Pronunciation: 'sä-vr&n, 's&-, -v&-r&n
Variant: also sov·ran /-vr&n/
Function: noun
: a person or political entity (as a nation or state) possessing or held to possess sovereignty sovereigns…the United States on the one hand and the State of California on the other —U.S. Code> —see also sovereign immunity at IMMUNITY

Main Entry: sovereign
Variant: also sovran
Function: adjective
1 : possessed of supreme power sovereign ruler>
2 : enjoying autonomy <sovereign states>
3 : relating to, characteristic of, or befitting a sovereign
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: sov·er·eign
Pronunciation: 'säv-(&-)r&n
Function: adjective
: having generalized curative powers sovereign remedy>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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