1
as in democracy
government in which the supreme power is held by the people and used by them directly or indirectly through representation
self-government implies faith in the wisdom and essential goodness of the people
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in restraint
the power to control one's actions, impulses, or emotions
steely self-government was all that kept her from lashing out at the rude customer
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3
as in autonomy
the state of being free from the control or power of another
championed self-government for the nation's indigenous peoples
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-government
In 2009, Denmark granted Greenland self-government, giving the territory control over all its affairs except foreign policy and defence.
—
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 20 Jan. 2026
Greenland voted in favor of self-government in 2008 and acquired greater responsibility for internal affairs when the Act on Greenland Self-Government was signed into law in 2009.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 17 Jan. 2026
Those who charge that mail ballots are not secure undermine confidence in elections, without proof, and discourage participation, erode trust, and weaken the very foundations of self-government.
—Coalition, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2026
Legislation in 2009 that extended self-government to Greenland also recognized a right to independence under international law, an option favored by a majority of Greenlanders.
—Stefanie Dazio, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-government
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 20 Jan. 2026
Greenland voted in favor of self-government in 2008 and acquired greater responsibility for internal affairs when the Act on Greenland Self-Government was signed into law in 2009.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 17 Jan. 2026
Those who charge that mail ballots are not secure undermine confidence in elections, without proof, and discourage participation, erode trust, and weaken the very foundations of self-government.
—Coalition, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2026
Legislation in 2009 that extended self-government to Greenland also recognized a right to independence under international law, an option favored by a majority of Greenlanders.
—Stefanie Dazio, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-government
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-government
Noun
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That doesn’t mean lifting sanctions will lead to democracy in Iran, and the war will strengthen the IRGC in the near term, Ozcelik cautioned.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
When democracies decay, and especially when movements like Christian nationalism rise, an erosion of women’s equality almost always comes first.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Hegseth came out of his own service, in Iraq and Afghanistan, with the seeming conviction that what had stood in the way of a fuller victory in those wars had been the restraints supposedly placed on how soldiers could kill.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In a culture that rewards fast takes, that kind of restraint is rare.—
Sonia Singh,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As Fortune reported in January, many workers whose productivity has genuinely improved with AI still describe a quiet sense of loss—of craft, of autonomy, of the slower rhythms that once defined skilled work.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
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Too, though the Basque Country is today is fully integrated into Spain, while retaining a great deal of autonomy, as well as its unique language and culture, the region’s relationship with the Iberian nation is shadowed by its history as the home of terrorist organization ETA.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The United States has experience in encouraging economic transitions through regulatory modernization and private-sector development frameworks, and that expertise can be shared in ways that respect national sovereignty.—
Oscar de la Rosa,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The world today is divided territorially into more than 190 countries, each of which possesses a national government that claims to exercise sovereignty and seeks to compel obedience to its will by its citizens.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Elder law experts warn that the best protection against uncertainty, exploitation or government infringement of your independence is to plan ahead, early and often.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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Her journey takes her to the soirées of Regency London and the peaks and vales of the Lake District, all in search of independence, self-love and reinvention.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Athletes have largely won the freedom to transfer almost at will via the portal along with the ability to be paid by schools that are now doling out more than $20 million a year to their athletes.—
Mark Long,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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Drawing inspiration from the human hand’s intricate design and proprioceptive capabilities, this study aims to enhance the dexterity of robotic hands, particularly in multi-degree-of-freedom (DoF) motion and posture perception.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This visit was very important signal for our partners that Kyiv, much more safety right now, and also very important signal that Great Britain stay together with Ukraine, support Ukraine -- support our country in the fight for our freedom, for our independency.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2022
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Yet the careful reader will appreciate the significance of the Puritan Cromwell’s independency.—
Barton Swaim,
WSJ,
27 Dec. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Self-government.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-government. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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