as in democracy
government in which the supreme power is held by the people and used by them directly or indirectly through representation
the newly created United States opted for self-rule rather than monarchy
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Recent Examples of self-rule
That spirit of self-rule returns Tuesday, when primary voters will pick party nominees across the 2026 ballot.
—
Gromer Jeffers Jr, Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026
But, after eleven months of self-rule led to a surge in violent crime and yawning inequality, nostalgia for a purer form of justice began to crop up in the pages of the press and in public lectures.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Among those present were members of the community La Candelaria, in the municipality of San Cristobal de las Casas, which has been demanding self-rule for years.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
While acknowledging Palestinian self-rule in Areas A and B, Oren said a fully sovereign Palestinian state is impossible.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Washington is caught between preventing a collapse of its Kurdish partners’ self-rule enclave — which played a central role in defeating Islamic State in Syria — and supporting Sharaa’s bid to consolidate control over the rest of the country.
—Reuters, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
Hundreds gathered in Copenhagen on Saturday in support of Greenland and its right to self-rule.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 17 Jan. 2026
The move has elevated concerns that the same could happen with Greenland, a Danish territory with limited self-rule.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 6 Jan. 2026
Yes, Greenland, a North American island east of Canada, is a Danish territory with limited self-rule.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Gromer Jeffers Jr, Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026
But, after eleven months of self-rule led to a surge in violent crime and yawning inequality, nostalgia for a purer form of justice began to crop up in the pages of the press and in public lectures.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Among those present were members of the community La Candelaria, in the municipality of San Cristobal de las Casas, which has been demanding self-rule for years.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
While acknowledging Palestinian self-rule in Areas A and B, Oren said a fully sovereign Palestinian state is impossible.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Washington is caught between preventing a collapse of its Kurdish partners’ self-rule enclave — which played a central role in defeating Islamic State in Syria — and supporting Sharaa’s bid to consolidate control over the rest of the country.
—Reuters, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
Hundreds gathered in Copenhagen on Saturday in support of Greenland and its right to self-rule.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 17 Jan. 2026
The move has elevated concerns that the same could happen with Greenland, a Danish territory with limited self-rule.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 6 Jan. 2026
Yes, Greenland, a North American island east of Canada, is a Danish territory with limited self-rule.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-rule
democracy
Noun
-
Addressing a crowd of at least 100,000 on Budapest's Heroes' Square, Magyar charged Orbán's government with turning Hungarians against one another through propaganda and divisive policies, and of steering the country away from its rightful place among Western democracies.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The same is true of Ukraine, whose democracy (with its substantial flaws) Russia could not abide as a standing alternative to its own system, and of Taiwan, which cannot threaten China, but whose flourishing demonstrates that Beijing’s system is not the only option.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-rule.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-rule. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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