home rule

noun

Definition of home rule

: 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

Code home rule offers more independence from the General Assembly, without writing a charter. — Mary Grace Keller, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Charter government pros and cons examined as Carroll County commissioners prepare to hear options," 24 July 2019 It was granted home rule in 1979 and is now considered an autonomous area within the kingdom of Denmark. — Los Angeles Times, "Q&A: Trump wants to buy Greenland. How much is it worth anyway?," 23 Aug. 2019 Kenilworth voters rejected a referendum measure in 2012 for home rule government. — Daniel I. Dorfman, chicagotribune.com, "Glencoe officials once again explore path toward home rule," 1 Aug. 2019 Because Frankfort is not a home rule community, a sales tax increase must be approved by voters. — Susan Demar Lafferty, Daily Southtown, "Frankfort may try to increase sales tax," 15 May 2018 The bill would not impact home rule counties that appoint, rather than elect, their county clerk. — oregonlive.com, "Lawmakers want to tamp down self-promotion by elections officials," 10 June 2019 Cincinnati argues the law violates home rule rights guaranteed in the Ohio Constitution, according to the complaint filed Thursday in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. — Jackie Borchardt, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati sues state over law barring local gun restrictions," 6 June 2019 For communities such as Orland Park that have home rule sales taxes, the state had levied an administrative fee amounting to 2 percent of collections, but the new state budget shaves that to 1.5 percent. — Mike Nolan, Daily Southtown, "New taxes, job cuts possible as Orland Park officials tackle budget gap," 8 June 2018 Tyndall’s life began humbly, in a respectable but impecunious Irish family whose Protestant roots shaped his lifelong opposition to home rule. — Peter Pesic, WSJ, "‘The Ascent of John Tyndall’ Review: Science at the Summit," 9 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'home rule.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

3 Oct 2019

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Time Traveler for home rule

The first known use of home rule was in 1858

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More Definitions for home rule

home rule

noun

English Language Learners Definition of home rule

: government of a place (such as a country or territory) by the people who live there instead of by another country

See the full definition for home rule in the English Language Learners Dictionary

home rule

noun

Legal Definition of home rule

: 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