n.
Variant: also sov · ran
Pronunciation: ' sä-v( ə -)r ə n, -v ə rn also ' s ə -
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English soverain, from Anglo-French soverein, from soverein, adjective
Date: 13th century
1 a : one possessing or held to possess sovereignty b : one that exercises supreme authority within a limited sphere c : an acknowledged leader : ARBITER
2 : any of various gold coins of the United Kingdom