sovereignty

The word “sovereignty” means supreme authority, especially the power of a nation to govern itself without outside control. In plain terms, the right and power of a country (or person) to rule itself without outside interference.

“Sovereignty” is pronounced SOV-ruhn-tee (/ˈsɑv(ə)ɹənti/ in IPA).

Here is “sovereignty” used in a sentence: “The country fought hard to preserve its sovereignty after the war.”

Words with a similar meaning to “sovereignty” include sovereigndom, sovereignhood, sovereignness and sovereignship.

“Sovereignty” is a noun.

The word “sovereignty” comes from Old French. From Old French soveraineté, from soverain ("sovereign") plus the noun-forming suffix -té.

“Sovereignty” is a fairly common word in modern English.

Sovereignty refers to the supreme authority a nation holds to govern itself without outside control, while independence describes the state of not being ruled or controlled by another country. A nation can be independent yet have its sovereignty challenged or limited by external pressures, treaties, or interventions.

Yes, sovereignty can extend to concepts like tribal sovereignty, popular sovereignty, or personal autonomy, wherever supreme authority over a domain is being described. In its core political sense, though, it most often refers to a state's self-governing power.

National sovereignty is the principle that a country has the supreme authority to make its own laws and decisions without interference from other nations. It underpins concepts like territorial integrity and self-determination in international law.