self-determination
noun
self-de·ter·mi·na·tion
ˌself-di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən 
1
: free choice of one's own acts or states without external compulsion
2
: determination by the people of a territorial unit of their own future political status
Examples of self-determination in a Sentence
the United States officially recognizes 18 as the age at which someone is entitled to self-determination
rebels fighting for the territory's self-determination
Recent Examples on the Web
As a new generation sloughed off the integrationist dreams of their Civil Rights forbears in favor of the Black Power Movement’s call for self-determination, Baraka renegotiated his position as a white literary darling and embraced a racial pride reinforced by righteous anger.
—
Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2025
My own ecosystem might block any self-determination.
—Hazlitt, 5 Mar. 2025
The Polisario’s guerrilla war against the Moroccan occupation clocked some impressive victories until 1991, when the two parties signed a cease-fire pegged to the pledge of a referendum on self-determination.
—Hannah Rae Armstrong, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
Today, the government-to-government relationship between tribes and the U.S. is one way that tribes can practice self-determination.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-determination
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Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2025
My own ecosystem might block any self-determination.
—Hazlitt, 5 Mar. 2025
The Polisario’s guerrilla war against the Moroccan occupation clocked some impressive victories until 1991, when the two parties signed a cease-fire pegged to the pledge of a referendum on self-determination.
—Hannah Rae Armstrong, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
Today, the government-to-government relationship between tribes and the U.S. is one way that tribes can practice self-determination.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-determination
Cite this Entry
“Self-determination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-determination. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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