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
By the mid-nineteen-sixties, Africa had been transformed from a patchwork of colonies to one of mostly independent countries, each devoted, at least in theory, to self-determination.
—
Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
The book blends personal anecdotes with academic theories like attachment, interdependence and self-determination.
—Hope Reese, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The plan also mentions a long-term horizon for self-determination and the establishment of a Palestinian state – a point not raised in previous proposals, which mainly focused on ending the war in Gaza but neglected to include a longer-term pathway to statehood.
—Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2025
The drama charts her gradual journey from vulnerability to self-determination.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-determination
Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
The book blends personal anecdotes with academic theories like attachment, interdependence and self-determination.
—Hope Reese, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The plan also mentions a long-term horizon for self-determination and the establishment of a Palestinian state – a point not raised in previous proposals, which mainly focused on ending the war in Gaza but neglected to include a longer-term pathway to statehood.
—Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2025
The drama charts her gradual journey from vulnerability to self-determination.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-determination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-determination
Noun
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Vernengo said the reclassification of drug dealers as terrorists has led many in the region to assume that there is a push for a possible invasion of Venezuela, whose neighbors have no choice but to have a relationship with the United States.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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With fewer families able to afford lessons and operating costs on the rise, Jackson has had to make difficult choices just to keep his doors open.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Paz favored gradual reform, including tax incentives for small businesses and regional fiscal autonomy, while Quiroga proposed sweeping cuts and an IMF bailout.—
Reuters 3 min ago,
CNN Money,
20 Oct. 2025
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Idaho lawmakers and advocates have stressed that their goals are bodily autonomy and informed choice.—
Audrey Dutton,
ProPublica,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But Ukraine says Russia is waging an imperial war of conquest to eradicate Ukrainian sovereignty and identity, and illegally bring it under Kremlin control.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
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More than 15,000 Haitians lost their lives fighting against the United States’ seizure of Haitian sovereignty, including Charlemagne Péralte, the subject of Yveline Alexis’s engrossing and tragic account of the Occupation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Athletic maintains full editorial independence.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Traditional narratives obscure the role slavery might have played in Texas’ drive for independence and portray the Alamo’s defenders as freedom fighters.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Steve Coppell knew how to manage people, play the right tactics and give us the freedom to express ourselves.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Other artists address psychological and ecological rupture, from Shirin Neshat’s haunting meditations on freedom to Sharbendu De’s visions of climate futures.—
PhotoVogue,
Vogue,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-determination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-determination. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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