soberanía

/so.beˈɾa.ni.a/

noun★Intermediate💡 sovereignty

⚖️Law

formal

The supreme authority of a state to govern itself without external interference.

La soberanía del Estado está garantizada por la Constitución.

The state's sovereignty is guaranteed by the Constitution.

💡

Used primarily in political, legal, and international‑relations contexts.

Collocations

soberanía nacionalnational sovereigntysoberanía popularpopular sovereigntysoberanía estatalstate sovereignty

the principle that political power originates from the people

the exclusive authority of a government over its territory

Think of 'sober' as 'above' (super) – a country that is 'above' others in its own affairs has sovereignty.

From Spanish 'soberano' (from Latin 'superānus' meaning 'above, superior') + the abstract noun suffix '-ía'.

Refers to the authority of a nation or state, not to personal autonomy. Often appears in legal texts, treaties, and political discourse.

Diccionario Español-Inglés