1
as in choice
the act or power of making one's own choices or decisions
the United States officially recognizes 18 as the age at which someone is entitled to self-determination
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in autonomy
the state of being free from the control or power of another
rebels fighting for the territory's self-determination
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-determination
And yet, major Jewish legacy organizations continue to insist that support for Israel requires denying the realities of occupation, justifying violence against Palestinians and rejecting Palestinian self-determination even while affirming the same for Jews.
—
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
As Nick and Jacki’s conversations deepen, the line between witness and participant blurs, forcing both to confront what justice demands, what belief requires, and the perilous distance between true freedom and the illusion of self-determination.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 9 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for self-determination
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
As Nick and Jacki’s conversations deepen, the line between witness and participant blurs, forcing both to confront what justice demands, what belief requires, and the perilous distance between true freedom and the illusion of self-determination.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 9 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for self-determination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-determination
Noun
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The cow or chicken choice seemed rather crucial at the time.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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In this regard, recommendations of top Wall Street analysts can help investors make the right choice, as these experts assign buy ratings after a thorough analysis of a company's fundamentals and its ability to consistently pay dividends.—
,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That impetus brought Lance Hammer back out of the woodwork, a gauntlet thrown to himself to think through problematic contradictions involving the quite different — and often sparring — human verticals of capability, autonomy, and decline.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
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Navigating such thorny topics as consent and autonomy in the throes of dementia, the film is relentless in its exploration of impossible-to-answer questions, and uses, as its vessel, three sensational performers who make its drama both luminous and entirely devastating.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Emmanuel Macron equated territorial sovereignty with the rights of the French to police their own misinformation and democracy.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
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And the loss of our supply chain sovereignty was not a function of a prosperous and healthy system of global trade.—
Azhar Sukri,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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These include emotional regulation, giving and receiving feedback, independence and teamwork.—
Erick Trevino,
AZCentral.com,
18 Feb. 2026
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Like Fed officials who vote on interest-rate decisions, researchers at the 12 regional banks and Board of Governors go to great lengths to establish independence from outside political actors.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Çatak’s anti-state message acquires an ambiguous power as the movie wends onward, with an enigmatic final shot that finds Aziz tasting clear-skies freedom but still from behind confines of a sort.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
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But, after serving more than 30 years of a natural life sentence, Modrowski won back his freedom in summer 2024 when a judge ruled he had been too harshly punished and resentenced him to a 60-year term.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-determination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-determination. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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