self-government

noun

ˌself-ˈgə-vər(n)-mənt How to pronounce self-government (audio)
Definition of self-governmentnext
1
as in democracy
government in which the supreme power is held by the people and used by them directly or indirectly through representation self-government implies faith in the wisdom and essential goodness of the people

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2
as in restraint
the power to control one's actions, impulses, or emotions steely self-government was all that kept her from lashing out at the rude customer

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3
as in autonomy
the state of being free from the control or power of another championed self-government for the nation's indigenous peoples

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of self-government The civic case asks them to prepare students for self-government. — Ray Ravaglia, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026 The thread of citizen rights and responsibilities weaves through each of these, uniting evolving conceptions of freedom, self-government, and individual achievement from the nation’s past through to its present. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 4 July 2026 The celebration comes 250 years after delegates in Philadelphia approved the Declaration, setting in motion what would become the world's oldest continuing experiment in self-government. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 3 July 2026 The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the US Constitution. — Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-government
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-government
  1. democracy
  2. restraint
  3. autonomy
  4. sovereignty
  5. independence
  6. freedom
  7. independency
Noun
  • Fully 88 percent of respondents expressed favorable attitudes toward democracy, while 67 percent held negative views of a government based on sharia.
    — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The island, one of Africa’s most stable democracies, experienced similar unrest in 1999, when a popular musician’s death in police custody sparked days of rioting.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of democracy
Noun
  • Having dressed numerous actresses throughout her career, Chiuri sees a shift in red carpet culture toward individualized creations and, more recently, greater restraint.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In an era when high-performance vehicles often grow larger, heavier, and more complex with each successive generation, part of the Carrera T’s appeal lies in its restraint.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of restraint
Noun
  • The problem, Snegovaya said, is that achieving military autonomy for Europe and Ukraine is extremely difficult in the short term, and Europe has been slow to develop the necessary capabilities.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
  • CoreMotion is intended to address this integration challenge by providing a common control layer between autonomy software and vehicle hardware.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of autonomy
Noun
  • Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a final appeal to voters considering a path toward independence in his home province of Alberta on Friday, warning that a referendum is a dangerous gamble at a time of growing threats to Canada’s sovereignty.
    — Rob Gillies, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The practical reason for this is to ensure that European customers have full sovereignty over software, algorithms, data, and hardware.
    — David Szondy October 15, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of sovereignty
Noun
  • The three lines of defense model reinforces accountability while preserving appropriate independence.
    — Manny Khan, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The vote had faced concerns of possible foreign interference after Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail reported Republican operatives had assisted top separatist leaders with their independence bid.
    — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of independence
Noun
  • The row reached the competition jury’s press conference the day after the opening ceremony, where a reporter raised the question of historical fact and creative freedom.
    — Ophélie Surcouf, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The efforts by Huawei and other Chinese chipmakers to squeeze more performance out of less sophisticated hardware are impressive—but the results are still workarounds compared with the freedom Nvidia or AMD have.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of freedom
Noun
  • Yet the careful reader will appreciate the significance of the Puritan Cromwell’s independency.
    — Barton Swaim, WSJ, 27 Dec. 2021
  • His seemingly daily attacks on freedom of speech, the independency of the judiciary, the right to vote and other pillars of our constitutional system are bolstered by an intensely loyal fan base.
    — Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2020
Definition of independency

Browse Nearby Words

self-governing
self-government
self-gratulatory
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Cite this Entry

“Self-government.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-government. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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