1. Suprême. La liberté est le bien souverain.
2. Infaillible. Un remède souverain.
ETYM Old Fren. par amont above; par through, by (Latin per) + amont above. Related to Amount.
Having the highest rank or jurisdiction; superior to all others; chief; supreme.
ETYM Old Eng. soverain, sovereyn, Old Fren. soverain, suvrain, French souverain, Late Lat. superanus, from Latin superus that is above, upper, higher, from super above. Related to Over, Super, Soprano. The modern spelling is due to a supposed connection with reign.
Greatest in status or authority or power; SYN. supreme.
Sovereign.
Monarque.
The ruler of a nation; SYN. crowned head, monarch.
British gold coin, introduced by Henry VII, which became the standard monetary unit in 1817. Minting ceased for currency purposes in the UK in 1914, but the sovereign continued to be used as “unofficial” currency in the Middle East. It was minted for the last time in 1987 and has now been replaced by the Britannia.
The value is notionally 1, but the actual value is that of the weight of the gold at current rates.
ETYM French, formed from sus above, Latin susum, sursum (fr. sub under + versum, p. p. of vertere to turn), after the analogy of souverain, Eng. sovereign. Related to Sub-, and Verse.
A state exercising a degree of dominion over a dependent state especially in its foreign affairs.