sovereign
sovereign Lexical Profile
sovereign Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Possessing supreme, ultimate, and independent political power or authority, free from external control.
"The treaty formally recognized the newly formed republic as a sovereign nation."
Unusually effective, potent, or unsurpassed in quality (especially of a remedy or cure).
"In medieval herbalism, the infusion was regarded as a sovereign remedy for fevers."
• noun
A supreme ruler, especially a monarch such as a king, queen, or emperor.
"The ambassadors presented their diplomatic credentials directly to the reigning sovereign."
British A former British gold coin worth one pound sterling, now minted primarily as bullion or a collector's piece.
"His grandfather left him an antique watch chain adorned with a Victorian gold sovereign."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French 'soverain', from Vulgar Latin '*superanus' ('chief, principal'), derived from Latin 'super' ('above'). The unpronounced 'g' was inserted in the 16th century due to a false folk-etymological association with the word 'reign'.