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Webster 1913 Edition


Sovereign

Sov′er-eign

(? or ?; 277)
,
Adj.
[OE.
soverain
,
sovereyn
, OF.
soverain
,
suvrain
, F.
souverain
, LL.
superanus
, fr. L.
superus
that is above, upper, higher, fr.
super
above. See
Over
,
Super
, and cf.
Soprano
. The modern spelling is due to a supposed connection with
reign
.]
1.
Supreme or highest in power; superior to all others; chief;
as, our
sovereign
prince
.
2.
Independent of, and unlimited by, any other; possessing, or entitled to, original authority or jurisdiction;
as, a
sovereign
state; a
sovereign
discretion
.
3.
Princely; royal.
“Most sovereign name.”
Shak.
At Babylon was his
sovereign
see.
Chaucer.
4.
Predominant; greatest; utmost; paramount.
We acknowledge him [God] our
sovereign
good.
Hooker.
5.
Efficacious in the highest degree; effectual; controlling;
as, a
sovereign
remedy
.
Dryden.
Such a
sovereign
influence has this passion upon the regulation of the lives and actions of men.
South.
Sovereign state
,
a state which administers its own government, and is not dependent upon, or subject to, another power.

Sov′er-eign

(? or ?; 277)
,
Noun.
1.
The person, body, or state in which independent and supreme authority is vested; especially, in a monarchy, a king, queen, or emperor.
No question is to be made but that the bed of the Mississippi belongs to the
sovereign
, that is, to the nation.
Jefferson.
2.
A gold coin of Great Britain, on which an effigy of the head of the reigning king or queen is stamped, valued at one pound sterling, or about $4.86.
3.
(Zool.)
Any butterfly of the tribe
Nymphalidi
, or genus
Basilarchia
, as the ursula and the viceroy.
Syn. – King; prince; monarch; potentate; emperor.

Webster 1828 Edition


Sovereign

SOVEREIGN

,
Adj.
suv'eran. [We retain this babarous orthography from the Norman sovereign. The true spelling would be suveran from the L. supernes, superus.]
1.
Supreme in power; possessing supreme dominion; as a sovereign ruler of the universe.
2.
Supreme; superior to all others; chief. God is the sovereign good of all who love and obey him.
3.
Supremely efficacious; superior to all others; predominant; effectual; as a sovereign remedy.
4.
Supreme; pertaining to the first magistrate of a nation; as sovereign authority.

SOVEREIGN

,
Noun.
suv'eran.
1.
A supreme lord or ruler; one who possesses the highest authority without control. Some earthly princes, kings and emperors are sovereigns in their dominions.
2.
A supreme magistrate; a king.
3.
A gold coin of England, value 20s or $4.44

Definition 2024


sovereign

sovereign

English

Alternative forms

Adjective

sovereign (comparative more sovereign, superlative most sovereign)

  1. Exercising power of rule.
    sovereign nation
  2. Exceptional in quality.
  3. (now rare) Extremely potent or effective (of a medicine, remedy etc.).
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.v:
      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 []
    • (Can we date this quote?) Dryden
      a sovereign remedy
    • (Can we date this quote?) South
      Such a sovereign influence has this passion upon the regulation of the lives and actions of men.
  4. Having supreme, ultimate power.
  5. Princely; royal.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Shakespeare
      most sovereign name
  6. Predominant; greatest; utmost; paramount.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Hooker
      We acknowledge him [God] our sovereign good.

Derived terms

Synonyms

Translations

Noun

sovereign (plural sovereigns)

  1. A monarch; the ruler of a country.
    • Jefferson
      No question is to be made but that the bed of the Mississippi belongs to the sovereign, that is, to the nation.
  2. One who is not a subject to a ruler or nation.
  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 very large champagne bottle with the capacity of about 25 liters, equivalent to 33⅓ standard bottles.
  5. Any butterfly of the tribe Nymphalini, or genus Basilarchia, as the ursula and the viceroy.
  6. (Britain, slang) A large, garish ring; a sovereign ring.
    • 2004, December 11, "Birkenhead, Merseyside" BBC Voices recording (0:06:52)
      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’.
    • 2011 July 1, Caroline Davies, “Harrods 'ladies' code' drives out sales assistant”, in The Guardian:
      No visible tattoos, sovereigns, mismatched jewellery, scrunchies, large clips or hoop earrings.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also