SELF-CONTROL Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

self-control

noun

ˌself-kən-ˈtrōl

Definition of self-control next

as in restraint

the power to control one's actions, impulses, or emotions toddlers have very little self-control

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in discipline

the checking of one's true feelings and impulses when dealing with others she could be passionate and intense, but generally exercised steely self-control in the company of strangers

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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-control Holding back a child can be a good option to allow children extra time to develop self-control and self-regulation skills vital for the classroom, said Stanford professor Thomas Dee, who has studied red-shirting. —

Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026 That matters because adolescence is a time when feelings get bigger before self-control fully catches up. —

Becky Kennedy sheryl Ziegler, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2026 New strategies for modern temptations The original studies on willpower relied on surveys or questionnaires to measure a person's self-control and their success in life. —

Michaeleen Doucleff, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026 At age 2, children may have frequent tantrums that parents will have to mediate for them–responding with self-control and support instead of frustration and an outburst of their own. —

Taylor Grothe, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-control

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-control

Noun

The department is currently investigating more than two dozen facilities and says, while most providers recognize the need for regulation, some don't think the laws around restraint and seclusion should apply to them.

— Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
The volunteer, named Jacki and played with warm restraint by Tessa Thompson, has been slowly developing a friendship with Yarris, a mercurial but undeniably charismatic character played by Adrien Brody, your go-to actor for any slight man with a loping, unsteady energy.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026