suzerain

a country that has partial control over another

TRANSLATION

suzerain = der Oberherr, der Suzerän, der Oberstaat --- GOOGLE INDEX suzerain: approximately 700,000 Google hits

STATISTICS

IN THE PRESS

Not even the most ardent Scottish nationalist could reasonably argue that the English treated their northern neighbour as the Soviet SUZERAINS treated their subject nations.

(BBC News)

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The main concern is that a strong China in the next century will reinstate its traditional SUZERAIN role and intervene politically.

(New York Times)

Did you
know?

suzerain
noun, adjective

- a sovereign or a state exercising political control over a dependent state

(Random House Dictionary)

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When one country controls most of another country's affairs, especially international relations, while still allowing it some autonomy, the dominant country is called a suzerain.

In modern world affairs, suzerains are unusual, but history includes a number of them. For example, the Ottoman Empire was the suzerain in its relationships with Moldova, the principality of Serbia, and Wallachia, and for years China was a suzerain to Mongolia.

China is also considered by some to be the suzerain to Tibet, allowing it a small amount of autonomy while controlling it politically.

While not a suzerain in the true sense of the word, there are some in Scotland who feel England more or less plays a suzerain role and thus pushed for independence from Great Britain. Officially, the relationship between the two countries is a political union.

The term suzerain is from the French suzerain and is the noun use of the adjective meaning "sovereign but not supreme."

(sources: vocabulary.com, Wikipedia)

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SYNONYMS

chief, emperor, lord, overseer, ruler, tsar

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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation

"The recent referendum in Scotland has made the word 'suzerain' pop up quite a lot in the British press."

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Thanks to David for suggesting today's word!

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