sovereign
gb/sˈɑvɹən/ us/sˈɑvɹən/
B2
Anglais
~ 2600
Sens
0 sens
Nom
B2
entity
1
A nation's supreme ruler
A king, queen, or leader who has the highest power in a country.
Schéma d’usage :
[a/the] sovereign of [a country]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'sovereign' with 'government'; 'sovereign' refers to the ruler, not the whole administration in this sense.
Synonymes
monarch (Neutral term for a king or queen; often interchangeable.)
Antonymes
subject (Refers to someone under the authority of a sovereign.)
Collocations
absolute sovereign
|reigning sovereign
|sovereign ruler
|sovereign state
Thèmes
politics
|government
|history
Exemples
- The sovereign signed the new law into effect.
- Queen Elizabeth II was the sovereign of the United Kingdom.
- The country's sovereign attended the international summit.
- The sovereign's decisions were final and could not be appealed.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The king is the sovereign of the country.
- A sovereign makes the most important decisions.
- The sovereign visited many towns this year.
Nom
B2
entity
2
An independent nation-state
A country that makes its own laws and is not ruled by another country.
Schéma d’usage :
[a/the] sovereign [nation/state]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners might confuse 'sovereign' meaning 'independent country' with 'sovereignty', which is the concept of independence.
Synonymes
independent state (Emphasizes political and legal independence.)
Antonymes
colony (A territory controlled by another country.)
Collocations
sovereign nation
|sovereign state
|fully sovereign
Thèmes
politics
|international relations
|law
Exemples
- Canada is a sovereign nation.
- The treaty recognized the island as a sovereign state.
- They fought to remain a sovereign people.
Exemples pédagogiques
- This is a sovereign country.
- A sovereign state can make its own laws.
- The island became sovereign last year.
adjective
formal
B2
property
3
Having full authority
Having the complete right to make decisions without being controlled by others.
Schéma d’usage :
[a/the] sovereign [state/decision/power]
Synonymes
autonomous (Emphasizes self-rule and independence, often in political contexts.)
Antonymes
dependent (Lacking the ability to act independently; relying on others for authority.)
Collocations
sovereign power
|sovereign rights
|sovereign authority
Thèmes
politics
|law
Exemples
- The court affirmed the tribe's sovereign rights.
- They acted as a sovereign body in making the decision.
- A sovereign government must protect its citizens.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The tribe is sovereign over its land.
- This group makes sovereign choices.
- A sovereign state can choose its own leaders.
adjective
formal
C1
property
4
Highest in rank or status
Being the most important or powerful in a group or system.
Schéma d’usage :
[a] sovereign [right/position/principle]
Synonymes
supreme (Very similar in meaning; emphasizes unmatched authority or importance.)
Antonymes
subordinate (Lower in rank or authority.)
Collocations
sovereign right
|sovereign principle
Thèmes
politics
|law
Exemples
- Freedom of speech is considered a sovereign right in this nation.
- The constitution is the sovereign law of the land.
- He held a sovereign position within the organization.
Exemples pédagogiques
- This is a sovereign rule in our country.
- The president has a sovereign role here.
- Our law is sovereign over other rules.
Nom
archaic
C2
entity
5
Old British gold coin
An old British gold coin worth one pound.
Synonymes
gold pound coin (Descriptive phrase for clarity.)
Thèmes
money
|history
|finance
Exemples
- He paid for the horse with three sovereigns.
- The coin collection included a rare 1890 sovereign.
- Sailors often carried gold sovereigns as emergency funds.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He gave me an old gold sovereign.
- The shop sells old sovereigns.
- I saw a gold sovereign in the museum.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
sovereign
API
GB/sˈɑvɹən/
US/sˈɑvɹən/
Syllabes et accentuation
sov - er - eign (3 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (sov)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: sovereign
Noun
- Base: sovereign
- Plural: sovereigns
Famille de mots
Forms
sovereigns
noun
Core family
sovereignty
noun C1
Negative and opposite forms
non-sovereign
adjective
Advanced or less common
sovereignly
adverb
Expressions
sovereign debt
1/sˈɑvɹən dˈɛt/
fixed phrase
technical
Government borrowing of money
Money that a country's government owes to lenders inside or outside the country.
Exemples
- The country's sovereign debt has reached record levels.
- Investors are worried about the possibility of a sovereign debt default.
sovereign state
1/sˈɑvɹən stˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
Independent self-governing country
A country that rules itself and is not controlled by another country.
Exemples
- France is a sovereign state in Europe.
- The United Nations has 193 member sovereign states.
sovereign wealth fund
1/sˈɑvɹən wˈɛlθ fˈʌnd/
fixed phrase
technical
State-owned investment fund
Money saved and invested by a country's government, usually from natural resources or trade surplus.
Exemples
- Norway's sovereign wealth fund is one of the largest in the world.
- The oil revenues are placed into the nation's sovereign wealth fund.