Suzerainty (or /ˈsjuːzəreɪnti/ RP, or /ˈsuːzərənti/ GA)'s a situation in which a region or people's a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary some limited domestic . The superior entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the head of state of that more powerful entity,'s called a suzerain. The term suzerainty was originally used to describe the relationship between the Ottoman Empire and its surrou… (More on Suzerainty)