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sovereignty

 - 6 dictionary results

sov⋅er⋅eign⋅ty

  [sov-rin-tee, suhv-]
Use sovereignty in a Sentence
–noun, plural -ties.
1. the quality or state of being sovereign.
2. the status, dominion, power, or authority of a sovereign; royalty.
3. supreme and independent power or authority in government as possessed or claimed by a state or community.
4. rightful status, independence, or prerogative.
5. a sovereign state, community, or political unit.
Origin:
1300–50; ME soverainte < AF sovereynete (OF soverainete), equiv. to soverain sovereign + -ete -ty 2
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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sov·er·eign·ty   (sŏv'ər-ĭn-tē, sŏv'rĭn-)   
n.   pl. sov·er·eign·ties

  1. Supremacy of authority or rule as exercised by a sovereign or sovereign state.

  2. Royal rank, authority, or power.

  3. Complete independence and self-government.

  4. A territory existing as an independent state.

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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Cultural Dictionary

sovereignty [(sov-ruhn-tee, sov-uhr-uhn-tee)]

A nation or state's supreme power within its borders. A government might respond, for example, to criticism from foreign governments of its treatment of its own citizens by citing its rights of sovereignty.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

sovereignty 
c.1340, "pre-eminence," from Anglo-Fr. sovereynete, from O.Fr. souverainete, from soverain (see sovereign). Meaning "authority, rule" is recorded from c.1374; sense of "existence as an independent state" is from 1715.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: sov·er·eign·ty
Variant: also sov·ran·ty /'sä-vr&n-tE, 's&-, -v&-r&n-/
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ties
1 a : supreme power esp. over a body politic b : freedom from external control : AUTONOMY
2 : one that is sovereign; especially : an autonomous state
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Bible Dictionary

Sovereignty

of God, his absolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure (Dan. 4:25, 35; Rom. 9:15-23; 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 4:11).

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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