sovereign

Meaning

Adj

1. Exercising power of rule.
2. Exceptional in quality.
3. (archaic) Extremely potent or effective (of a medicine, remedy etc.).
4. Having supreme, ultimate power.
5. Princely; royal.
6. Predominant; greatest; utmost; paramount.

Noun

1. A monarch; the ruler of a country.
2. One who is not a subject to a ruler or nation.
3. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) One who is not a subject to a ruler or nation.
4. A gold coin of the United Kingdom, with a nominal value of one pound sterling but in practice used as a bullion coin.
5. A former Australian gold coin, minted from 1855–1931, of one pound value.
6. A very large champagne bottle with the capacity of about 25 liters, equivalent to 33+¹⁄₃ standard bottles.
7. Any butterfly of the tribe Nymphalini, or genus Basilarchia, eg., ursula, viceroy.
8. (UK, slang) A large, garish ring; a sovereign ring.

Verb

To rule over as a sovereign.

Synonyms

monarch

king

👑

ruler

emperor

master

potentate

overlord

supreme

imperator

independent

prince

🤴

lord

autonomous

self-governing

governor

chieftain

imperial

shogun

superior

queen

👸

topmost

princely

regent

royal

crowned head

dominant

top

🔝

khan

Your Majesty

daimyo

head

government

chief

paramount

throne

upmost

uppermost

chief magistrate

His Majesty

supreme ruler

one bearing a discus

Czar

holding supreme power

first magistrate

independent state

red ’un

Czar '' ''

absolute ruler

Sire '' ''

all-powerful

Translations

souverain

soberano

sovrano

sobirà

soberano

Herrscher

souverän

soeverein

Souverän

egemen

oppermachtig

Monarch

vorst

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈsɒv.ɹɪn/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: sovereyn

Cognate with French: souverain

Cognate with Italian: sovrano

Cognate with Spanish: soberano

In summary

From Middle English sovereyn, from Old French soverain (whence also modern French souverain), from Vulgar Latin *superānus (compare Italian sovrano, Spanish soberano) from Latin super (“above”). Spelling influenced by folk-etymology association with reign. Doublet of soprano, from the same Latin root via Italian. See also suzerain, foreign.