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
So Xi will try to change traditional U.S. language regarding the status of Taiwan to signal that the island nation’s days of self-rule are coming to an end and that other nations had better get on the good side of Beijing.
—
Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2026
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
Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-rule
democracy
Noun
-
Pundits say the public is too divided, the issues too technical, and the competition with China too urgent for democracy.—
Justin Rosenstein,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Mongolia is a relatively new democracy, transitioning from a one-party Communist system in 1990.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-rule.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-rule. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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