self-determination

noun

self-de·​ter·​mi·​na·​tion ˌself-di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: free choice of one's own acts or states without external compulsion

2

: determination by the people of a territorial unit of their own future political status

Synonyms of self-determination

• choice
• autonomy

Examples of self-determination in a Sentence

the United States officially recognizes 18 as the age at which someone is entitled to self-determination

rebels fighting for the territory's self-determination

Recent Examples on the Web

As the Roman republic’s social and political breakdown quickened, decades of progress in women’s self-determination, emancipation, and participation in public life were erased. —Time, 24 Nov. 2025

As a disabled person, freedom and self-determination are not guaranteed. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 21 Nov. 2025

What To Know Winning approval required significant revisions, particularly stronger language on Palestinian self-determination demanded by Arab states and the Palestinian leadership. —Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025

The Elissas is an ode to classic high school ensemble dramas, at once a gritty story of unsupervised city kids at the turn of the millennium and an examination of the inherent power and self-determination of teenage girls. —Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 13 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for self-determination

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization

Kids Definition

self-determination

noun

self-de·​ter·​mi·​na·​tion

ˌself-di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən

1

: free choice of one's own acts without outside pressure

2

: the deciding by the people of a place of the form of government they will have