Sovereign basically means “supreme or the ultimate;” not ruled over by others. Sovereign can be used as a noun as well as an adjective. As a noun, “sovereign” means “the head of a nation or ruler by virtue of heredity. “The adjective “sovereign” pertains to “the attribute of ultimate power or authority especially with regards to political independence.” The synonyms of the noun form of the word are king, emperor, monarch, crowned head etc. The synonyms of the adjective “sovereign” are self-governing, independent or autonomous.

In a monarchy, the king as sovereign has total and unconditional power, while in a democracy; the people are bestowed with the sovereign power. Sovereign also refers to a nation that governs and manages the territory outside its borders. Sovereign was also a gold coin used formerly in Great Britain.