sovereignty

Definition

Supreme authority within a territory, recognizing no legal superior in domestic or international affairs. The political equivalent of 'I'm not touching you'—technically independent while still subject to economic reality and military power.

Example Usage

The nation jealously guarded its sovereignty, refusing to join international courts that might override domestic law.

Origin

From Old French 'soverain,' developed as concept with the rise of nation-states in the 16th-17th centuries

Fun Fact

The Peace of Westphalia (1648) established modern sovereignty principles, ending the Thirty Years' War and creating the international system we still pretend works.

Source: International relations and constitutional law

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