CEFR C1

personal union

noun

Meaning

A state of affairs in which two or more sovereign states share the same head of state, but their governments and laws remain separate.

Examples

  • The union between England and Scotland under James VI of Scotland (James I of England) was a personal union.
  • The personal union between the crowns of Spain and Portugal lasted from 1580 to 1640.

Synonyms: commonwealth, federation, confederation