sovereign
sovereign — 名詞
1. a king, queen, emperor, or other hereditary ruler who holds the highest politica
君主；統治者
擁有國家最高權力的世襲統治者
a king, queen, emperor, or other hereditary ruler who holds the highest political authority in a country.
Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-ruling sovereign in modern British history.
伊莉莎白二世女王是英國現代史上在位最久的君主。
Bilal's grandfather told stories about the old sovereign who ruled before the revolution.
Bilal 的祖父講述了革命前統治國家的那位老國王的故事。
sovereign as hereditary ruler before a political change
The sovereign's golden crown and jewel-covered sword were kept inside a locked glass case.
君主的金色皇冠和鑲滿寶石的劍保存在一個上鎖的玻璃櫃裡。
When the old sovereign died, the crown passed to his eldest daughter.
老國王去世後，王冠傳給了他的長女。
A sovereign from centuries ago could order anyone in the kingdom to be arrested.
幾個世紀前的統治者可以下令逮捕王國裡的任何人。
- monarch
the most direct synonym; both refer to a hereditary ruler, but 'monarch' is more common in everyday use
- ruler
much broader; can refer to any leader (elected or not) and lacks the specific hereditary or constitutional meaning
- king / queen
more specific; refers to a male or female sovereign, while 'sovereign' covers both and also emperors
- emperor
implies rule over an empire of multiple territories, a rank above a king in historical hierarchies
- subject
a person under the authority of a sovereign, who must obey the sovereign's laws
用法筆記
Frequently appears in formal or historical writing. In modern constitutional monarchies such as the United Kingdom, the sovereign is a ceremonial figurehead rather than an absolute ruler.
常見錯誤
2. a coin made of gold, worth one British pound, that people used regularly from th
金幣
英國舊時價值一英鎊的金幣
a coin made of gold, worth one British pound, that people used regularly from the early 1800s until the First World War.
My grandmother kept a sovereign from 1890 in her jewellery box.
我祖母的珠寶盒裡收藏了一枚 1890 年的金幣。
sovereign as a collectible old coin
The museum displayed a shiny sovereign that had been buried underground for over a century.
博物館展示了一枚閃亮的金幣，它在地下埋了超過一個世紀。
Collectors pay high prices for a sovereign made during the reign of Queen Victoria.
收藏家願意出高價購買維多利亞女王時期鑄造的金幣。
Gabriel found a gold sovereign while cleaning out his uncle's old wooden desk.
Gabriel 在清理叔叔的舊木桌時發現了一枚金幣。
A single sovereign in Victorian times could buy a week's food for a family.
維多利亞時代一枚金幣就能買到一家人一星期的食物。
- gold coin
a general term; 'sovereign' is a specific type of gold coin with a fixed value
- pound coin
the modern equivalent in name only — today's pound coins are not made of gold
用法筆記
Mainly encountered in museums, auction catalogues, and historical fiction. Today, the United Kingdom still mints limited-edition gold sovereigns for collectors, but they are not used as everyday money.
常見錯誤
sovereign — 形容詞
1. having complete authority over its own affairs and not controlled by any outside
主權的
擁有完全政治權力或自治權的
having complete authority over its own affairs and not controlled by any outside power — used of a country, a government, or a leader who answers to no higher authority.
India became a sovereign nation in 1947 after years of colonial rule.
印度在 1947 年結束殖民統治後成為一個主權國家。
sovereign nation as an independent country
The king's sovereign power was written into the country's constitution.
國王的主權權力被寫入了該國的憲法。
Putri studied how sovereign states make agreements with one another at the United Nations.
Putri 研究了主權國家如何在聯合國相互達成協議。
No outside government can tell a truly sovereign country what laws it must pass.
沒有任何外國政府可以告訴一個真正主權的國家該通過什麼法律。
The president told citizens the nation would remain fully sovereign after the trade agreement.
總統告訴國民，加入貿易協定後該國仍將保持完全主權。
- independent
a simpler, more common word; 'sovereign' adds a formal legal dimension beyond mere independence
- autonomous
focuses on self-governance; 'autonomous' can apply to regions within a larger country, whereas 'sovereign' implies full nation-level independence
- supreme
emphasizes the highest level of authority rather than freedom from outside control
- dependent
a country that relies on another for protection or governance
- subordinate
under the authority of a higher power
用法筆記
Commonly modifies political nouns: 'sovereign state', 'sovereign nation', 'sovereign government', 'sovereign territory'. Use 'independent' for simpler contexts; 'sovereign' carries a stronger legal and formal tone.
常見錯誤
2. having such a strong healing or solving effect that little else works as well —
極有效的
對解決問題或疾病極其有效的
having such a strong healing or solving effect that little else works as well — used for medicines, treatments, or methods that are remarkably successful.
The old herbalist claimed his mixture was a sovereign cure for headaches and fever.
那位老草藥醫師聲稱他的混合物是治療頭痛和發燒的極有效良方。
sovereign cure: a highly effective medical remedy
Adisa cut his hand on a rusty fence; his aunt called honey a sovereign remedy.
Adisa 的手被生鏽的籬笆割傷，他阿姨說蜂蜜是極有效的良方。
sovereign remedy in a traditional home-medicine scene
The doctor recommended a sovereign treatment that eased the patient's pain within a few hours.
醫生推薦了一種極有效的療法，幾小時內就緩解了病人的疼痛。
Jabari's grandmother believed that hot ginger tea was a sovereign remedy for winter colds.
Jabari 的祖母相信熱薑茶是治療冬天感冒的極有效良方。
Diplomacy is often the sovereign solution when two countries cannot agree on a border dispute.
當兩個國家在邊界爭端上無法達成一致時，外交往往是極有效的解決方案。
- highly effective
a less formal, everyday alternative that lacks the old-fashioned literary tone
- infallible
even stronger — suggests the cure never fails, but sounds more technical or religious
- powerful
much broader and more common; lacks the 'ultimate cure' nuance
- ineffective
not producing the desired result
用法筆記
Almost always appears before a noun in the fixed patterns 'sovereign remedy' or 'sovereign cure'. Rare in modern everyday speech; found mostly in older or literary texts. Do not use with 'very' or 'more' — the word already implies the highest degree of effectiveness.