principalities

Small sovereign territories

Principalities are territories ruled by princes, or the authority such rulers hold.

The term appears most often in biblical and theological contexts, where principalities name a rank of angels—or malevolent spiritual powers: We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers.

In secular use, principalities are small sovereign states like Monaco or Liechtenstein.

biblical

powers

Abilities or authorities held

angelsDivine winged messengers
demonsMalevolent supernatural beings
heavenlyDivinely pleasant or blissful

celestial · archangels · thrones · dominions · rulers · authorities · Satan · Ephesians · warfare · darkness

territorial

regions

Defined geographical areas

bordersLines separating regions
enclavesTerritories surrounded by another
provincesAdministrative regions within nations

cantons · dependencies · protectorates · colonies · dominions · realms · city-states · marches · frontiers · boundaries

feudal

vassalage

Subordination to a lord

fealtyPledged devotion to authority
suzeraintyControl without full annexation
fiefdomFeudal territory under lord

serfdom · manorialism · liege · overlord · tribute · homage · allegiance · nobility · aristocracy · peerage

domains

duchy

Noble-ruled territory

emirateIslamic monarch's domain
sultanateSultan-ruled state
khanateRuler's territorial domain

caliphate · sheikhdom · princedom · palatinate · fiefdom · satrapy · viceroyalty · shogunate · raj · viscounty

sovereignty

autonomy

Independent decision-making capacity

self-ruleGovernance without outside control
independenceFreedom from external control
statehoodCondition of being sovereign

authority · jurisdiction · supremacy · self-governance · self-determination · rulership · dominion · control · legitimacy · recognition

principalities

powers

regions

vassalage

duchy

autonomy

principalities

Opposites

Categories

Family