self-governed
Americanadjective
-
governed by itself or having self-government, as a state or community; independent.
- Synonyms:
- autonomous
- Antonyms:
- dependent
-
self-regulating; self-determining.
-
exercising self-restraint or self-control.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of self-governed
First recorded in 1700–10
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The schools will establish self-governed student cadet corps programs similar to those of senior military colleges that offer rigorous military education and tactical training.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Returning from his Beijing summit with the Chinese leader, the president said that “nothing’s changed” in the U.S. policy toward the democratic, self-governed island.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
Taiwan, a self-governed island claimed by China, had been pushing to reach an agreement with the Trump administration over the duties faced by its exports entering the US, set at 20% last year.
From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2026
Taiwan’s religious diversity and vitality forms a kind of subsoil of the self-governed island’s identity and values.
From New York Times ● May 3, 2024
It does not take long for a "self-governed" people to learn that it is not really governed—that an agreement enforcible by nobody but the parties to it is not binding.
From The Shadow On The Dial, and Other Essays 1909 by S. O. (Silas Orrin) Howes
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