SELF-COMMAND Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

self-command

noun

ˌself-kə-ˈmand

Definition of self-command

as in restraint

the checking of one's true feelings and impulses when dealing with others a witness practicing remarkable self-command under intense questioning by several members of Congress

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in temperance

the power to control one's actions, impulses, or emotions an aloof man of great self-command but little charm

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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-command He was shaped in San Antonio by an environment that demanded alertness, self-command, and the ability to read the room quickly. — Matt Emma, USA Today, 13 May 2026 In his mind, the army was not a caste apart but an instrument of the republic – an arena in which self-command and civic virtue were tested. — Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-command

Noun

Due to the ongoing construction and current facility restraints, Belmont Park will only operate with a capacity of 6,000 during opening weekend and 4,000 after.

— John Dias, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
Perhaps showrunner and co-creator Ian Brennan showed restraint, even foresight, by keeping the Floridian killer out of Season 3’s meta movie storyline.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of restraint

Noun

Organizations should treat security as the discipline that keeps the business running, with prevention as one of its tools rather than its purpose.

— Maman Ibrahim, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
The Asian Games, first held in 1951 in New Delhi, India, includes 45 countries and regions and 43 sports — many Olympic disciplines and a few regional specialties.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of discipline

Noun

But that drop in intensity quickly veered into carelessness, with the defence failing to assert its composure amid loose passes and hapless communication mix-ups.

— Chris McKenna, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
His Pharaoh maintains his composure as increasingly absurd situations unfold around him.

— Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of composure

Noun

The worsening economic crisis led to weakness in the labor market, allowing employers to engage in wage repression and leading to further pressure on household incomes.

— Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026
But there was very real and concentrated state repression against the more militant aspects and members of these movements.

— Maggie McGowan, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of repression

Noun

As art and its creators have shed their inhibitions in this post-Sadean world, politicians and cultural commentators have reliably lined up to condemn this total freedom of expression as being dangerous to society.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
Put inhibitions aside to experience the latest episode of Doc Talk, hosted by John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, Shirley), and Matt Carey, Deadline’s senior documentary editor.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 30 June 2026

Definition of inhibition

Noun

And while suppression and the idea of living with fire appear to oppose each other, the same detection and real-time decision tools that let crews hit a fire hard and fast are exactly the tools needed to allow a fire to burn under safe conditions.

— Matt Thompson, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026
Babcock has a strong history of sending goal-suppression lines over the boards.

— Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026