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Kingly vs Sovereign - What's the difference?

kingly | sovereign | Synonyms |

As adjectives the difference between kingly and sovereign

is that kingly is majestic and regal while sovereign is exercising power of rule.

As an adverb kingly

is in a royal manner.

As a noun sovereign is

a monarch; the ruler of a country.

kingly

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) kyngly, from (etyl) *.

Adjective

(er)
  • Majestic and regal.
  • * Sir Philip Sidney
  • * kingly magnificence
  • * Jonathan Swift
    • a kingly government
  • * Shakespeare
    • the kingly couch
  • * G. Massey
    • The kingliest kings are crowned with thorn.
  • * Cowper
    • Leave kingly' backs to cope with ' kingly cares.
    Derived terms
    * kingliness

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) kyngly, from (etyl) *.

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • In a royal manner.

    • sovereign

    English

    (wikipedia sovereign)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Exercising power of rule.
    • sovereign nation
  • Exceptional in quality.
  • Extremely potent or effective (of a medicine, remedy etc.).
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), (The Faerie Queene) , III.v:
    • The soueraigne weede betwixt two marbles plaine / She pownded small, and did in peeces bruze, / And then atweene her lilly handes twaine, / Into his wound the iuyce thereof did scruze
  • * (rfdate) Dryden
    • a sovereign remedy
  • * (rfdate) South
    • Such a sovereign influence has this passion upon the regulation of the lives and actions of men.
  • Having supreme, ultimate power.
  • Princely; royal.
  • * (rfdate) Shakespeare
    • most sovereign name
  • Predominant; greatest; utmost; paramount.
  • * (rfdate) Hooker
    • We acknowledge him [God] our sovereign good.

    Derived terms

    * sovereignly

    Synonyms

    * autonomous * supreme

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A monarch; the ruler of a country.
  • * Jefferson
    • No question is to be made but that the bed of the Mississippi belongs to the sovereign , that is, to the nation.
  • One who is not a subject to a ruler or nation.
  • A gold coin of the United Kingdom, with a nominal value of one pound sterling but in practice used as a bullion coin.
  • A very large champagne bottle with the capacity of about 25 liters, equivalent to 33? standard bottles.
  • Any butterfly of the tribe , as the (ursula) and the viceroy.

    • Hyponyms

    * (monarch) king, queen

    Derived terms

    * sovereignty

    See also

    * half sovereign/half-sovereign English words not following the I before E except after C rule