1
as in restraint
the power to control one's actions, impulses, or emotions
toddlers have very little self-control
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discipline
the checking of one's true feelings and impulses when dealing with others
she could be passionate and intense, but generally exercised steely self-control in the company of strangers
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-control
Crafted by a team of expert perfumers, the fragrance was shaped by global trends and shifting consumer moods, like the growing desire for self-indulgence and self-control.
—
Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Apr. 2025
But research from the Social Security Administration shows that individuals tend to miscalculate their retirement needs for reasons including a lack of financial literacy, reliance on anecdotal evidence over statistics, issues with ambiguity aversion and issues of self-control and procrastination.
—Vincent Gregoire, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
During Ramadan, fasting each day from dawn to dusk teaches us discipline and self-control.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
Chatbots can be engineered by teams of experts intent on programming them to be as responsive and empathetic as possible — the psychological version of scientists designing the perfect Dorito that destroys any attempt at self-control.
—Angela Chen, Vox, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-control
Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Apr. 2025
But research from the Social Security Administration shows that individuals tend to miscalculate their retirement needs for reasons including a lack of financial literacy, reliance on anecdotal evidence over statistics, issues with ambiguity aversion and issues of self-control and procrastination.
—Vincent Gregoire, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
During Ramadan, fasting each day from dawn to dusk teaches us discipline and self-control.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
Chatbots can be engineered by teams of experts intent on programming them to be as responsive and empathetic as possible — the psychological version of scientists designing the perfect Dorito that destroys any attempt at self-control.
—Angela Chen, Vox, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-control
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-control
Noun
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Join 315 others in the comments View Comments Whether the market can continue to serve as a restraint on Trump’s intent to implement aggressive trade policy has ignited debate on Wall Street.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
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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Finch was unimpressed with his team’s offensive game plan discipline in the face of a desperate defense.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2025
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This law also explicitly subjects federal prosecutors to state bar discipline.—
Cassandra Burke Robertson,
The Conversation,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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His research team, in partnership with associate professor Sakiko Okumoto at Texas A&M University, hopes to study plant mechanisms in sorghum and capitalize on its innate ability to inhibit nitrogen loss, a process known as biological nitrification inhibition (BNI).—
Robin Roenker,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
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Read More: 8 Things to Say During a Fight With Your Partner Swearing seems to help people shed their social inhibitions, according to Stephens, one of the study’s authors.—
Stacey Colino,
Time,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Throughout the show, Kelvin has been so repressed, and that repression has manifested in incredible ways, like the God Squad and the Smut Busters.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2025
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There were militarized zones that reasserted a semblance of order through repression as well as cults of personality organized around a leader’s ability to provide a sense of purpose.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-control.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-control. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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