1
as in democracy
government in which the supreme power is held by the people and used by them directly or indirectly through representation
self-government implies faith in the wisdom and essential goodness of the people
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2
as in restraint
the power to control one's actions, impulses, or emotions
steely self-government was all that kept her from lashing out at the rude customer
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3
as in autonomy
the state of being free from the control or power of another
championed self-government for the nation's indigenous peoples
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-government
In doing so, Americans claimed for themselves the right to self-government and established themselves as the ultimate authority and power.
—
Nisha Whitehead, Orange County Register, 16 Mar. 2025
Democracy is self-government, the business of everyday people governing themselves.
—Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 5 Oct. 2024
Our country should be placed speedily above the plane of confessing herself a failure at self-government.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 21 Feb. 2025
In 2008, a majority of Greenlanders voted for further home rule, to, in essence, continue a process towards sovereignty and self-government.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-government
Nisha Whitehead, Orange County Register, 16 Mar. 2025
Democracy is self-government, the business of everyday people governing themselves.
—Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 5 Oct. 2024
Our country should be placed speedily above the plane of confessing herself a failure at self-government.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 21 Feb. 2025
In 2008, a majority of Greenlanders voted for further home rule, to, in essence, continue a process towards sovereignty and self-government.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-government
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-government
Noun
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But perhaps the most serious rebuke to the liberal international order has come from inside the democracies, where populist parties have hitched economic grievances, anti-immigrant sentiments, and the loss of faith in their own elites and institutions to an authoritarian domestic turn.—
Margaret MacMillan,
The Atlantic,
30 Apr. 2025
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The federal courts have toggled back and forth between narrow and liberal interpretations of the Constitution’s applicability to immigrants facing deportation – shifts that reflect competing visions of American nationhood and the boundaries of liberal democracy.—
Rick Baldoz,
The Conversation,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Walmart, Whole Foods, and Amazon also faced calls for economic restraint by consumers.—
Karen R. King,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
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China, which claims control of part of Kashmir has also called for restraint.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In 2019, the Indian Parliament passed a law that revoked the region's administrative autonomy, which many in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had blamed for the violence that has rocked the Himalayan valley.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
23 Apr. 2025
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While Farrelly's startup couldn't always compete on pay, the flexibility, autonomy and calmer pace drew in nurses quickly — especially those looking to leave high-stress hospital jobs.—
Mike Winters,Lauren Shamo,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The country's current head of state, President Joseph Aoun, is an independent who has both called for Hezbollah to disarm and for Israel to respect Lebanese sovereignty.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Apr. 2025
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Leaders of Ukraine, meanwhile, are pushing to maintain independence and sovereignty.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Washington controversially backed Islamabad during the 1971 War of Bangladeshi independence, which oversaw what many analysts describe as a genocide against Bangladeshis.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Apr. 2025
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Real-Life Examples Of Evolving Goals A couple who planned to retire early shifts their focus to charitable work after achieving financial independence.—
Andrew Rosen,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In this dark comedy, Bud’s own fictionally fatal mishap may be the thing to give him a second chance at freedom and life.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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Proponents of educational freedom should reject such fearmongering.—
Gavin Schiffres,
National Review,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-government.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-government. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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