self-determination

American  

[self-di-tur-muh-ney-shuhn, self-] / ˈsɛlf dɪˌtɜr məˈneɪ ʃən, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

1. determination by oneself or itself, without outside influence.

2. freedom to live as one chooses, or to act or decide without consulting another or others.

3. the determining by the people of the form their government shall have, without reference to the wishes of any other nation, especially by people of a territory or former colony.

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self-determination British  

noun

1. the power or ability to make a decision for oneself without influence from outside

2. the right of a nation or people to determine its own form of government without influence from outside

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Other Word Forms

• self-determined adjective
• self-determining adjective

Etymology

Origin of self-determination

1670–80; 1915–20 self-determination for def. 3

Example Sentences

“Sovereignty and the self-determination of peoples are non-negotiable,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

Some social media users responded with jokes and memes, while others emphasized Greenlandic self-determination and rejected the implication of foreign control.

From Salon

It also sets out how redevelopment and reform might create "a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood".

From BBC

Cabinet minister Pat McFadden said on Sunday that Ukraine's security and self-determination would be "at the heart" of the leaders' discussions in London.

From BBC

As a Jew, I was especially drawn to the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr., for whom Zionism—the Jewish longing for self-determination—was inseparable from the universal struggle for human rights.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• autonomy
• home rule
• self-government
• self-reliance
• self-rule
• self-sufficiency
• separation
• sovereignty