Okuzeka
Politics & Government vocabulary · Political Systems

Sovereignty

Meaning in politics & government, with examples

/ˈsɒvrənti/nounCommon term

In politics & government, sovereignty means: The highest authority of a state to govern itself and make its own laws without outside control; also the idea of where final political authority lies, for example with the people.

In Turkish: egemenlik, hakimiyet

How it is used

Used in political theory, constitutional law and international relations. People speak of national sovereignty, popular sovereignty (power belongs to the people) and parliamentary sovereignty. States defend, share or give up some sovereignty, for example when they join international organizations.

Example sentences

  1. The lecture explained the difference between popular sovereignty and parliamentary sovereignty.

  2. Joining the organization means sharing some sovereignty in areas such as trade.

Common collocations

  • national sovereignty
  • popular sovereignty
  • parliamentary sovereignty
  • respect sovereignty
  • sovereignty over
  • stateA country considered as a political organization with its own government, laws and territory; also the permanent institutions that govern it.
  • democracyA system of government in which power belongs to the people, who choose their leaders in free elections and can replace them; also a country governed in this way.
  • constitutionThe basic set of laws and principles that sets out how a state is organized, what powers its institutions have and what rights its citizens enjoy.
  • federalismA system in which power is divided between a central government and regional governments, such as states or provinces, each with its own responsibilities.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Political Systems

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