主权 zhǔquán sovereignty
How to remember 主权: 主 lord + 权 authority = sovereignty.
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How it is used
- The legal-political term for national sovereignty - 国家主权 (guójiā zhǔquán) national sovereignty, 主权国家 (zhǔquán guójiā) a sovereign state.
- Distinct from 政权 (zhèngquán, political/state power) and 权力 (quánlì, power): 主权 is specifically the supreme authority of a state over its territory.
- Fixed in diplomatic and legal contexts, e.g. 领土主权 (lǐngtǔ zhǔquán) territorial sovereignty.