sovereign: Meaning and Definition of

sov•er•eign

Pronunciation: (sov'rin, sov'ur-in, suv'-), [key]
— n.
  1. a monarch; a king, queen, or other supreme ruler.
  2. a person who has sovereign power or authority.
  3. a group or body of persons or a state having sovereign authority.
  4. a gold coin of the United Kingdom, equal to one pound sterling: went out of circulation after 1914.
—adj.
  1. belonging to or characteristic of a sovereign or sovereignty; royal.
  2. having supreme rank, power, or authority.
  3. supreme; preeminent; indisputable: a sovereign right.
  4. greatest in degree; utmost or extreme.
  5. being above all others in character, importance, excellence, etc.
  6. efficacious; potent: a sovereign remedy.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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