suzerainnoun [ C ]
/ˈsuː.zər.eɪn//ˈsuː.zɚ.ɪn/specializeda country that partly controls another country, or the ruler of such a country:
As the Transvaal’s suzerain power, it would have been England’s duty to try to avert bloodshed.
The Hapsburgs were suzerains of the country, but they treated the inhabitants as free men.
See also
suzerainty