noun, plural sov·er·eign·ties.
- the quality or state of being sovereign, or of having supreme power or authority.
- the status, dominion, power, or authority of a sovereign;royal rank or position; royalty.
- supreme and independent power or authority in government as possessed or claimed by a state or community.
- rightful status, independence, or prerogative.
- a sovereign or independent state, community, or political unit.
noun plural -ties
- supreme and unrestricted power, as of a state
- the position, dominion, or authority of a sovereign
- an independent state
n.mid-14c., “pre-eminence,” from Anglo-French sovereynete, Old French souverainete, from soverain (see sovereign (adj.)). Meaning “authority, rule, supremacy of power or rank” is recorded from late 14c.; sense of “existence as an independent state” is from 1715. 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.