self-determination

[self-di-tur-muh-ney-shuhn, self-]

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.

self-determination

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

Other Word Forms

• self-determined adjective
• self-determining adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-determination¹

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

Example Sentences

How fitting that the U.N. chose that date to vote to annihilate the spirit of Jewish self-determination.

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In other moments, far rarer ones, “Christy” is briefly moving, a tale of how easily naive self-determination can be manipulated by misogynist scoundrels lurking in the corner of a shadowy boxing gym.

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The idea of the stabilisation force has drawn some criticism, with UN experts last month warning it would "replace Israeli occupation with a US-led occupation, contrary to Palestinian self-determination".

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Tribal parks are also an engine of economic opportunity and self-determination for Indian nations.

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Only if the “reform program is faithfully carried out,” will there be a path to “Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”

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Related Words

• autonomy 
• home rule 
• self-government 
• self-reliance 
• self-rule 
• self-sufficiency www.thesaurus.com
• separation 
• sovereignty