soberanía

/so.beˈɾa.ni.a/

sovereignty

Cada país defiende su soberanía.

Each country defends its 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