souveraineté
/su.vʁɛn.te/feminine
The English word sovereignty is translated into French as souveraineté.
Souveraineté refers to the state of a nation or other polity being able to control its own resources, make laws independently and govern itself without the coercion or concurrence of other polities.
Meaning: of a nation or other polity: the state of being able to control resources, make laws independently, and otherwise govern itself without the coercion or concurrence of other polities (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is feminine, which means it is used with the feminine article la to form la souveraineté.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /su.vʁɛn.te/.
Did you know?
- In a medical context, you might hear of un remède souverain, which does not mean a 'royal remedy' but rather an 'ultimate' or 'infallible' cure.
- The phrase la souveraineté réside dans le peuple is a cornerstone of French Republican identity, marking the historical transition of power from a monarch to the citizens.
- The French have coined the specific term souveraineté numérique to address the modern struggle for control over data and digital technology.
Examples in context
- La souveraineté réside dans le peuple.Sovereignty resides in the people.This sentence shows how sovereignty is situated within the people.Tatoeba #12453051 by Rovo, translation #265851 by rul
- Poutine est vraiment incapable de comprendre la profonde réaction au viol de la souveraineté ukrainienne.Putin is genuinely unable to understand the depth of the reaction to the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.This sentence describes the reaction to a violation of souveraineté.Tatoeba #11213624 by sacredceltic, translation #11213620 by sacredceltic
- La Russie est garante de la souveraineté de l'Ukraine, et donc de ses frontières, depuis le traité de mille-neuf-cent-quatre-vingt-quatorze, par lequel l'Ukraine renonçait, en échange, à son arsenal nucléaire.Russia guaranteed the sovereignty of Ukraine, and her borders, following the treaty of nineteen ninety-four, whereby Ukraine, in exchange, renounced her nuclear arsenal.This sentence discusses the guarantee of souveraineté and borders following a treaty.Tatoeba #3109862 by sacredceltic, translation #3683946 by kevlar67
- La souveraineté nationale est un pilier essentiel de notre système politique.National sovereignty is an essential pillar of our political system.
- L'indépendance économique est un aspect important de la souveraineté d'un pays.Economic independence is an important aspect of a country's sovereignty.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two political science students are discussing a lecture.
- GabrielL'étudiant a parlé de la souveraineté nationale.The student spoke about national sovereignty.
- ChloéOui, c'était un sujet très complexe.Yes, it was a very complex subject.
- GabrielChloé, as-tu compris sa définition ?Chloé, did you understand his definition?
- ChloéPas tout à fait, mais c'était intéressant.Not quite, but it was interesting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sovereignty” translations and entries souveraineté, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
