sov·er·eign 1 /'sä-vrən, 'sə-, -və-rən/ also sov·ran /-vrən/ n: a person or political entity (as a nation or state) possessing or held to possess sovereignty
a controversy between two sovereign s...the United States on the one hand and the State of California on the other — U.S. Code see also sovereign immunity at immunity
sovereign 2 also sovran adj
1: possessed of supreme power
a sovereign ruler
2: enjoying autonomy
sovereign states
3: relating to, characteristic of, or befitting a sovereign
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.