home rule

noun

: self-government or limited autonomy in internal affairs by a dependent political unit (such as a territory or municipality)

Examples of home rule in a Sentence

The citizens petitioned for home rule.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Danish parliament granted Greenland home rule in 1979; the law went into effect the following year. —Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 17 Jan. 2026

Then in 1979, Denmark granted home rule to Greenland. —Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 17 Jan. 2026

The mayor’s home rule petition was passed by the City Council and state House of Representatives three times, but was killed by the state Senate in late 2024 and stalled there again all last year. —Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2026

The fiscally moderate governor has been pressing unions to roll back some of the flexible work-from-home rules established during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. —Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 13 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for home rule

• minuscule
• molecule
• overrule
• poiseuille
• reticule
• ridicule
• vestibule
• ampoule
• bascule
• carpool
• cesspool
• ferrule

Kids Definition

home rule

noun

: self-government in local affairs by the citizens of a local political unit

Legal Definition

home rule

noun

: self-government or limited autonomy in internal affairs by a dependent political unit (as a territory or municipality)

also : the political theory or principle of self-government