Sovereignty

Meaning

The supreme authority or power of a state over its territory; the right to govern without external interference; the property of having independent political power

Origin / Etymology

Old French souverain (ruler) from Latin superanus (supreme)

Synonyms

Supremacy Independence Self-determination Autonomy

Antonyms

Subjugation Dependency Colonialism

Example Sentence

"India jealously guards its sovereignty in defence procurement, increasingly insisting on technology transfer rather than accepting finished platforms from foreign vendors."

🎯 UPSC Usage

Foundational concept for GS2 (polity, IR). Dimensions to know: (1) External sovereignty (independence from other states), (2) Internal sovereignty (supremacy within territory), (3) Popular sovereignty (derived from the people, Preamble's 'We the People'), (4) Parliamentary sovereignty vs constitutional supremacy (India follows constitutional supremacy, no institution is above the Constitution). Also: 'data sovereignty', 'digital sovereignty' in GS3.

Relevant Subjects