as in independent
not being under the rule or control of another
far beyond the reach of civil or military authorities, the settlers on the frontier were essentially self-governed
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Recent Examples of self-governed
Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949, after Nationalist forces fled to the island following their defeat by Chinese Communist powers.
—
Solcyré Burga, Time, 29 Dec. 2025
Overcrowded, under-resourced, and often effectively self-governed, these facilities have long served as incubators where armed groups recruit, reorganize, and expand their influence.
—Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 10 Dec. 2025
Greenland, which became self-governed in 2009, was colonized by Denmark some 300 years ago and still controls Greenland’s foreign and defense policies.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Local nonprofit Safe Ground Sacramento was responsible for operating the camp, which was self-governed by residents.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2024
Council membership is entirely self-governed, vendor free, and prioritizes cross-industry members to ensure nuanced perspectives.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024
Solcyré Burga, Time, 29 Dec. 2025
Overcrowded, under-resourced, and often effectively self-governed, these facilities have long served as incubators where armed groups recruit, reorganize, and expand their influence.
—Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 10 Dec. 2025
Greenland, which became self-governed in 2009, was colonized by Denmark some 300 years ago and still controls Greenland’s foreign and defense policies.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Local nonprofit Safe Ground Sacramento was responsible for operating the camp, which was self-governed by residents.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2024
Council membership is entirely self-governed, vendor free, and prioritizes cross-industry members to ensure nuanced perspectives.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-governed
Adjective
-
The movies at Sundance Film Festival's swan song in Park City, Utah, were very on theme for the event, celebrating independent cinema with familiar faces in challenging fare, quirky examinations of youth and fascinating documentaries.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
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The General Services Administration, an independent agency that manages federal buildings, has reached out to Fort Lauderdale to see if there’s any interest in purchasing the property, city officials say.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
As a result, organizations need alignment among leadership, an integration strategy, and clear rules for autonomous action.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
3 Feb. 2026
-
In January 2025, the autonomous aircraft successfully completed ground taxi tests.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The fund is anchored by sovereign investors in the Gulf.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Sentiment had already begun to recover after regulators on Thursday outlined reform measures, including doubling minimum free float—the number of shares available for public trading—to 15% starting next month and possible market involvement by sovereign wealth fund Danantara.—
Prima Wirayani,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-governed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-governed. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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