Synonyms of self-determination

self-determination

noun

ˌself-di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən 

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

• choice
• autonomy
• volition
• option
• free will
• will
• accord
• election
• preference
• selection
• predisposition
• devices
• predilection
• alternative
• disposition
• inclination
• tendency
• propensity
• penchant
• partiality
• discretion
• bent
• proclivity
• leaning
• way
• pick

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pressure
• force
• coercion
• constraint
• compulsion
• duress

2

as in autonomy

the state of being free from the control or power of another

rebels fighting for the territory's self-determination

Synonyms & Similar Words

• autonomy
• sovereignty
• independence
• freedom
• independency
• liberty
• self-governance
• liberation
• emancipation
• self-government
• enfranchisement
• manumission
• release

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dependence
• subjection
• heteronomy
• unfreedom
• subjugation
• imprisonment
• enslavement
• captivity
• incarceration
• internment
• enchainment
• immurement

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of self-determination

At the same time, Black political traditions have long emphasized self-determination through achievement within existing institutions. — Basil Smikle, New York Daily News, 25 June 2026

And on a holiday devoted to the idea of self-determination, that’s a goal worth pursuing. — Bydoug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 June 2026

States, employers, and advocates have spent those decades building systems that support integration and self-determination. — Nicole Jorwic, STAT, 23 June 2026

The Jewish people’s movement for self-determination in their biblical homeland — called Zionism — has become a dirty word on college campuses and in liberal political parties, and increasingly in some conservative ones. — Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 16 June 2026