I. sove ‧ reign 1 /ˈsɒvrən, ˈsɒvrɪn $ ˈsɑːv-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . formal a king or queen
2 . a British gold coin used in the past that was worth £1
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THESAURUS
▪ king the male ruler of a country, who comes from a royal family:
George III was the king of England at that time.
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King Harald V of Norway
▪ queen a woman who rules a country because she is from a royal family, or the wife of a king:
She became queen when she was only 14 years old.
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Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
▪ monarch a king or queen:
The bishops were appointed by the monarch.
▪ monarchy a country that is ruled by a king or queen, or this type of political system:
Britain is a constitutional monarchy.
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Some people want the monarchy to be abolished.
▪ prince the son of a king, queen, or prince, or the male ruler of a small country or state:
Prince Rainier of Monaco
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The prince will inherit the throne when his father dies.
▪ ruler someone such as a king, who has official power over a country and its people:
the ruler of Babylonia
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General Musharraf was the former military ruler of Pakistan.
▪ emperor the ruler of an ↑ empire (=group of countries) :
the Habsburg emperors of the 19th century
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Emperor Hirohito
▪ sovereign formal a king or queen:
It was hoped that a meeting of the two sovereigns would ease tensions between the countries.
▪ regent someone who governs instead of a king or queen, because the king or queen is ill, absent, or still a child:
Edward II left his friend Gaveston as regent.
▪ the crown formal the position of king or queen:
Warwick was a loyal servant of the crown.
II. sovereign 2 BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: soverain , from Vulgar Latin superanus , from Latin super 'over, above' ]
1 . having the highest power in a country
sovereign power/control
2 . a sovereign country or state is independent and governs itself