suzerainty; sovereign power over vassal states
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
suzerainty; the sovereign power or authority exercised by a suzerain state over a vassal state or colony
technicalPrimarily used in historical, political science, and international law contexts to describe unequal relationships where a dominant state controls foreign affairs and overall sovereignty while the dependent state retains limited domestic autonomy.
Lì历
shǐ史
shàng上
，
Yuè越
nán南
céng曾
cháng长
qī期
shòu受
Zhōng中
guó国
de的
zōng宗
zhǔ主
quán权
guǎn管
xiá辖
。
Historically, Vietnam was under Chinese suzerainty for a long period.
Zōng宗
zhǔ主
quán权
yǔ与
wán完
quán全
zhǔ主
quán权
bù不
tóng同
，
tā它
yǔn允
xǔ许
fān藩
shǔ属
guó国
bǎo保
liú留
yī一
dìng定
de的
nèi内
bù部
zì自
zhì治
quán权
。
Suzerainty differs from full sovereignty in that it allows vassal states to retain certain internal autonomy.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Shí1
jiǔ9
shì世
jì纪
mò末
，
liè列
qiáng强
zài在
Fēi非
zhōu洲
jiàn建
lì立
le了
guǎng广
fàn泛
de的
zōng宗
zhǔ主
quán权
tǐ体
xì系
。
By the end of the 19th century, the great powers had established extensive systems of suzerainty across Africa.