self-determination

noun

ˌself-di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce self-determination (audio)
Definition of self-determinationnext
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

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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

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-determination Denmark and Greenland have stressed that the arrangement will not compromise the island's sovereignty or right to self-determination. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026 Danish and Greenlandic leaders say the pact protects sovereignty and self-determination. — Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026 And an agreement that at the same time recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination. — Michelle Stoddart, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 They cannot be expected to accept the denial of Jewish self-determination. — Marc Schneier, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-determination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-determination
  1. choice
  2. autonomy
  3. sovereignty
  4. independence
  5. freedom
Noun
  • As private longing collides with honor and social codes, each character has to reckon with what their choices cost.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The choices are housed in the Atelier Vivier MTO cabinet, a silver console containing the available materials and hardware, while a digital component allows clients to visualize combinations before production begins.
    — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of choice
Noun
  • The company’s longer-term ambition, however, is to evolve from a supplier of reconnaissance technology into a multi-domain defense autonomy business with international reach.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Groups opposed to the charity's curriculum say Palestinians are being stripped of their autonomy in deciding what to teach their children.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of autonomy
Noun
  • The military operation there aims to restore sovereignty and confront the Houthi militia that’s attacking not just Saudi Arabia and Yemen, but the arteries of the global economy.
    — Faisal J. Abbas, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani noted that sovereignty does not mean only the departure of the foreign forces, but also the capability of the state to have authority and agency.
    — Firmesk Rahim, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of sovereignty
Noun
  • Bringing these creative brands together, giving producers access to a broader pool of talent, IP and resources, while preserving their independence is what differentiates Mediawan.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The higher the required SIL, the greater the required risk reduction and the more demanding the design, verification and independence of the safety function.
    — Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of independence
Noun
  • The row reached the competition jury’s press conference the day after the opening ceremony, where a reporter raised the question of historical fact and creative freedom.
    — Ophélie Surcouf, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The efforts by Huawei and other Chinese chipmakers to squeeze more performance out of less sophisticated hardware are impressive—but the results are still workarounds compared with the freedom Nvidia or AMD have.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of freedom

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self-destructs
self-determination
self-determining
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Cite this Entry

“Self-determination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-determination. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on self-determination

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about self-determination

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