sovereignty

Meanings

1. The quality or state of being sovereign.
2. Of a ruler (especially a monarch): supreme authority or dominion over something.
3. Of a nation or other polity: the state of being able to control resources, make laws independently, and otherwise govern itself without the coercion or concurrence of other polities.
4. Of a person: the liberty to decide one's actions and thoughts.
5. Pre-eminent or superior excellence; also, superior ability to achieve something; mastery.
6. A territory under the rule of a sovereign; an independent or self-governing nation or other polity.

Etymology

PIE word *upér From Late Middle English sovereynte, souvereynte [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman sovereyneté, soverentee, and Old French soveraineté, souveraineté (modern French souveraineté), from soverain + -té (suffix forming nouns, often denoting a property or quality). Soverain is derived from Vulgar Latin *superānus (“chief; sovereign”), from Latin super (“above; on top of”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *upér (“above, over”)) + -ānus (“suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’, usually denoting a relationship of origin, position, or possession”)). The English word is analysable as sovereign + -ty (suffix forming abstract nouns from adjectives).