self-executing

adjective

self-ex·​e·​cut·​ing ˌself-ˈek-sə-ˌkyü-tiŋ How to pronounce self-executing (audio)
: taking effect immediately without implementing legislation
a self-executing treaty

Examples of self-executing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rather than let the judge rule on whether the suit was justiciable at all, the plaintiffs filed a self-executing dismissal—one their own lawyers maintained needed no judicial sign-off—two days before the court’s deadline to address jurisdiction. Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 29 May 2026 Smart contracts are self-executing agreements coded into the transaction itself as milestones are achieved. Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 2 Mar. 2026 These services are powered by smart contracts—self-executing contracts with terms directly written into code—which remove the need for centralized intermediaries and allow users to interact directly. Cathy Ross, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-executing was in 1779

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Cite this Entry

“Self-executing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-executing. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

Legal Definition

self-executing

adjective
self-ex·​e·​cut·​ing
ˈself-ˈek-sə-ˌkü-tiŋ
: taking effect immediately without the need for implementing legislation or further judicial action
a self-executing judgment
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