sovereign

comparative more sovereign · superlative most sovereign · alternative archaic soveraign · alternative archaic soveraigne · alternative archaic sovran · alternative pronunciation spelling sovring · alternative pronunciation spelling sovrin

1. Exercising power of rule.

   sovereign nation

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   Native American nations have often been described as sovereign nations, although as regards present-day diplomacy they are, more precisely speaking, autonomous.

   1. Having supreme, ultimate power; (often specifically, of a polity) having fully independent power in international relations.

      sovereign country

      3 more examples

      Near-synonym: supreme

      Gentlemen, may I introduce Her Royal Highness, the Sovereign and Most Imperial Majesty, Empress Elizabeth of Vicron.

      You're the keeper of the castle So be a father to your children The provider of all their daily needs Like a sovereign Lord protector Be their destiny's director And they'll do well to follow where you lead.

      1972, Brian Potter, Dennis Lambert, “Keeper of the Castle”, performed by The Four Tops

      Synonyms: supreme

2. Exceptional in quality.

   Her voice was her sovereign talent.

3. archaicmedicineExtremely potent or effective (of a medicine, remedy etc.).

   a sovereign remedy

   1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page number)

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   The ſoueraigne weede betwixt two marbles plaine She pownded ſmall, and did in peeces bruze, And then atweene her lilly handes twaine, Into his wound the iuyce thereof did ſcruze […]

   1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto V”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

   […] God save the mark!— And telling me the sovereign’st thing on earth Was parmaceti for an inward bruise;

   c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]

   Homer of Moly and Nepenthe singes: Moly, the gods most soveraigne hearbe divine. Nepenth Hellen's drink, which gladnes brings,— Hart's greife repells, and doth yᵉ witts refine.

   1876, John Davies, “[Tobacco.]”, in Alexander B[alloch] Grosart, editor, The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Edited, with Memorial-Introduction and Notes, by the Rev. Alexander B. Grosart. In Two Volumes (Early English Poets), volume II, London: Chatto and Windus, Piccadilly, →OCLC, page 226

   Such a sovereign influence has this passion upon the regulation of the lives and actions of men.

   1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London

   In Spain people still bathe in the sea or roll naked in the dew of the meadows on St. John’s Eve, believing that this is a sovereign preservative against diseases of the skin.

   1900, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 3, page 297

4. Princely; royal.

   You pity not the state, nor the remembrance of his most sovereign name.

   c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]

5. Predominant; greatest; utmost; paramount.

   We acknowledge him [God] our sovereign good.

   [1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page)

plural sovereigns · alternative archaic soveraign · alternative archaic soveraigne · alternative archaic sovran · alternative pronunciation spelling sovring · alternative pronunciation spelling sovrin

1. A monarch: a supreme ruler of a country in a monarchical system.

   No question is to be made but that the bed of the Missisippi^([sic]) belongs to the sovereign, that is, to the nation.

   1785, Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia

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   The petty ſtreames that paie a dailie det To their ſalt ſoveraigne with their freſh fals haſt, Adde to his flowe, but alter not his taſt.

   1594, William Shakespeare, Lucrece (First Quarto), London: […] Richard Field, for Iohn Harrison, […], →OCLC

   Is this the Region, this the Soil, the Clime, Said then the lost Archangel, this the seat That we must change for Heaven?, this mournful gloom For that celestial light? Be it so, since hee Who now is Sovran can dispose and bid What shall be right : fardest from him is best Whom reason hath equald, force hath made supream Above his equals. […]

   1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 242-249

   Synonyms: monarch

2. One who is not a subject to a ruler or nation.
   1. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of sovereign citizen.

      A loose network of perhaps tens of thousands of far-right antigovernment extremists, sovereigns share certain conspiratorial beliefs and, sometimes, a desire to profit off a government whose legitimacy they deny.

      2019 March 29, Ashley Powers, “How Sovereign Citizens Helped Swindle $1 Billion From the Government They Disavow”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

3. A gold coin of the United Kingdom, with a nominal value of one pound sterling but in practice used as a bullion coin.
4. A former Australian gold coin, minted from 1855–1931, of one pound value.
5. A very large champagne bottle with the capacity of about 25 liters, equivalent to 33+¹⁄₃ standard bottles.
6. Any butterfly of the tribe Nymphalini, or genus Basilarchia, eg., ursula, viceroy.
7. UKslangA large, garish ring; a sovereign ring.

   No visible tattoos, sovereigns, mismatched jewellery, scrunchies, large clips or hoop earrings.

   2011 July 1, Caroline Davies, “Harrods 'ladies' code' drives out sales assistant”, in The Guardian

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   No, someone who wears loads of sovereigns as well loads of gold and has uh a curly perm and peroxide blonde hair, orange, orange sunbed skin and a fringe like this blow-dried to death, that’s a ‘scally’.

   2004, December 11, "Birkenhead, Merseyside" BBC Voices recording (0:06:52)

present singular third person sovereigns · participle present sovereigning · participle past sovereigned · past sovereigned · alternative archaic soveraign · alternative archaic soveraigne · alternative archaic sovran · alternative pronunciation spelling sovring · alternative pronunciation spelling sovrin

1. transitiveTo rule over as a sovereign.

1. The title of a monarch.

   To the security of the Protestant interests—to the security of the Protestant Church—it is not only our duty, as Members of the British Parliament, to pay particular attention, but, it is also the particular duty of the Sovereign himself.

   1832 April 11, “Parliamentary Reform—Bill for England—Second reading—Third Day—Debate again Adjourned—Discussion as to fixing the Day for the Committee”, in parliamentary debates, page 285

2. God, the supreme being who has power over all creation.

   Alas! and did my Saviour bleed? / And did my Sovereign dye?

   1707, Isaac Watts, “Godly Sorrow ariſing from the Sufferings of Chriſt”, in Hymns and Spiritual Songs, London: J. Humfreys, page 86

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   My Sov'reign, to thy throne, / With humble hope I preſs, / O bow thine ear to hear the groan / Of indigent diſtreſs.

   1795, Elizabeth Scott, “Prayer in Sickneſs”, in Jeremy Belknap, editor, Sacred poetry consisting of psalms and hymns, adapted to Christian devotion, in public and private. Selected from the beſt Authors, with variations and additions, Boston: Joseph Belknap

   We trust You, Sovereign of our years / With all of our tomorrows

   2020, Dave Fournier, Ryan Foglesong, “All of Our Tomorrows”Sovereign Grace Music

plural Sovereigns

1. A surname from German.