- (formal)
a king or queen 君主；元首 The Tongan sovereign is head of state and exercises executive power. 汤加君主是国家元首，行使行政权。 The islands are ruled by a governor, representing the British sovereign. 这些岛屿由总督代表英国君主管辖。
an old British gold coin worth one pound 金镑（旧时英国金币，面值一英镑）
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French soverain, based on Latin super ‘above’. The change in the ending was due to association with reign.