noun
also sov·ran·ty -ntē, -ti
( -es )
Etymology: sovereignty from Middle English soverainte, sovereinte, from Middle French sovraineté, from sovraine (feminine of sovrain sovereign) + -té -ty; sovranty alteration (influenced by sovran ) of sovereignty
1. obsolete : supreme excellence or an example of it
of all complexions the cull'd sovereignty do meet … in her fair cheek — Shakespeare
2.
a.
(1) : supreme power especially over a body politic : dominion , sway
the treaty provided for the cession … by Spain of its sovereignty over the territory of Puerto Rico — Antonio Fernós-Isern
the gates of Hell shall not prevail against His Church — to believe otherwise is to deny the sovereignty of God — Time
deprived the railroads of ultimate sovereignty in … rate-making — A.S.Link
(2) : freedom from external control : autonomy , independence
the chief cause of modern war has been the fallacy of absolute sovereignty of the national state — J.T.Shotwell
sovereignty is not an indivisible whole, since it can be partially ceded to a joint authority — European Federation Now
his mind asserted itself with … a strong sense of its own sovereignty — Leon Edel
b. : royal position or authority
let the emperor turn his nominal sovereignty into a real central and autocratic power — Hilaire Belloc
c. : controlling influence
the sovereignty of a superior class which gains dominion through social, economic or religious prestige — J.S.Roucek
3. : one that is sovereign ; especially : an autonomous state
affirming … that Formosa and China are part of the same sovereignty — New Republic