( n. )
The authority assumed by a superior power over an inferior or a dependent one, whereby the former protects the latter from invasion and shares in the management of its affairs.
( n. )
The authority assumed by a superior power over an inferior or a dependent one, whereby the former protects the latter from invasion and shares in the management of its affairs.
Webster's Revised Unabridged English Dictionary. Пересмотренный полный словарь английского языка Webster. 2012