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

Traditional music offered Wanda a sense of freedom and self-determination in the same way the expansive landscape of the bay did. —Hazlitt, 4 Feb. 2026

It cannot be justified in the name of self-determination or national security. —Sandeep Gopalan, Baltimore Sun, 3 Feb. 2026

Ekko Astral launched Liberation Weekend in 2025 alongside the Gender Liberation Movement, a grassroots collective fighting for trans people’s rights to bodily autonomy and self-determination on a national scale. —Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Jan. 2026

While contemporary Greenland encompasses this range of lifestyles, Kalaallit are unified in their desire for self-determination. —Genevieve Lemoine, The Conversation, 27 Jan. 2026

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