self-control

American  

[self-kuhn-trohl, self-] / ˈsɛlf kənˈtroʊl, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

1. control or restraint of oneself or one's actions, feelings, etc.

   Synonyms:

   levelheadedness, willpower, self-restraint, self-discipline

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self-control British  

noun

1. the ability to exercise restraint or control over one's feelings, emotions, reactions, etc

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Other Word Forms

• self-controlled
  adjective
• self-controlling
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of self-control

First recorded in 1705–15

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Compare meaning

How does self-control compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• self-control vs. self-discipline

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Explanation

Self-control is the quality that allows you to stop yourself from doing things you want to do but that might not be in your best interest. For example, without self-control, you might burp and curse nonstop. Have you ever had a potato chip or two and pretty soon you’ve eaten the whole bag? Eating a whole bag of chips shows little self-control. Not charging an expensive thing you want to a credit card takes self-control. Getting up early for work takes self-control. Without self-control, it's hard to get far in life. Self-control is similar to self-discipline.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

self-control

These included self-control, fear of missing out on social experiences, and neuroticism, a personality trait associated with a greater tendency to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, sadness, fear, and anger.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

Two consultant forensic psychiatrists had also concluded that a properly directed jury could find McIlwaine met the criteria necessary to establish loss of self-control.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

As a society, we routinely desire what others have, yet too often lack the self-control or self-awareness to be patient and content with what we can afford.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 26, 2026

“Extreme emotional disturbance is about a loss of self-control for which there was a reasonable explanation or excuse,” said Gary Galperin, a former prosecutor in Manhattan who now teaches at Cardozo School of Law.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

But a DNA double helix cannot autonomously make a copy of itself; otherwise, it might replicate without self-control.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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Related Words

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