as in voluntary
done, made, or given with one's own free will
if the candidates all follow self-imposed campaign-spending limits, government oversight is unnecessary
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Recent Examples of self-imposed
Your body begins to abandon you, but remaining are your responsibilities, a lot of which are self-imposed.
—
John Hopewell, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025
Many of these restrictions are self-imposed, in coordination with the European Commission, and can be changed with sufficient political will.
—Dalibor Rohac, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2025
But when Laguna Beach leveled up in competition last week, the team had to overcome some challenges that were self-imposed.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 18 Sep. 2025
The timeline and the stakes are all self-imposed.
—Kristen Arnett
august 21, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
Michigan self-imposed a two-game suspension for Moore during the upcoming 2025-26 football season.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Similarly, Chestnut Carbon self-imposed a 2030 deadline to acquire and reforest 500,000 acres of natural land for its program.
—Xander Peters, Time, 30 July 2025
As Senate Republican leadership tries to settle disputes and get everybody on board, there is a lack of consensus as to when a vote will even happen - and a fast-approaching and self-imposed July 4 deadline that suggests everyone could be working this weekend.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 26 June 2025
Such is life in the era of luxury-tax penalties due to the second apron that the NBA has foolishly self-imposed on itself.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 17 June 2025
John Hopewell, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025
Many of these restrictions are self-imposed, in coordination with the European Commission, and can be changed with sufficient political will.
—Dalibor Rohac, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2025
But when Laguna Beach leveled up in competition last week, the team had to overcome some challenges that were self-imposed.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 18 Sep. 2025
The timeline and the stakes are all self-imposed.
—Kristen Arnett
august 21, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
Michigan self-imposed a two-game suspension for Moore during the upcoming 2025-26 football season.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Similarly, Chestnut Carbon self-imposed a 2030 deadline to acquire and reforest 500,000 acres of natural land for its program.
—Xander Peters, Time, 30 July 2025
As Senate Republican leadership tries to settle disputes and get everybody on board, there is a lack of consensus as to when a vote will even happen - and a fast-approaching and self-imposed July 4 deadline that suggests everyone could be working this weekend.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 26 June 2025
Such is life in the era of luxury-tax penalties due to the second apron that the NBA has foolishly self-imposed on itself.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 17 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-imposed
Adjective
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What to Know Several companies have issued voluntary recalls of shrimp products suspected of possible Cs-137 contamination.—
Matt Cannon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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What’s desperately needed, Sisti said, are comprehensive investments in mental health — Housing First programs, funding to build up a mental health care workforce, and an easily accessible and coordinated system of voluntary treatment that prevents people from deteriorating on the streets.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Within the past couple of years, the group has become a part of Arrowhead Kingdom, an all-volunteer national network of Chiefs fan groups.—
Hannah Kirby,
Journal Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2023
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That’s noteworthy for a show based at a high-school auditorium in Litchfield and run by a staff that is almost entirely volunteer, including the show’s star and its producer.—
Susan Dunne,
Hartford Courant,
18 Aug. 2022
Adjective
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Democrats and Republicans in Congress have been playing the blame game this week, accusing the other of not being willing to negotiate.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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One can make the case that many voters are also willing to be selective in their vision—the right’s defense of free speech gathered steam despite the Republican Party suffering from even more seemingly intractable internal contradictions on the issue.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-imposed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-imposed. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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