self-government
Americannoun
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control of the government of a state, community, or other body by its own members; democratic government.
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the condition of being self-governed.
noun
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the government of a country, nation, etc, by its own people
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the state of being self-controlled
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an archaic term for self-control
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of self-government
First recorded in 1725–35
Vocabulary lists containing self-government
The American Revolution - Introductory
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The American Revolution - Middle School and High School
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History of India - Introductory
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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.
They want their own right of self-determination and self-government in their Native nations.
From Slate • Mar. 16, 2026
Those frustrations built until a 2009 self-government act, approved by three-quarters of Greenland voters, which charted a path for independence.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026
That isn’t the conduct of a movement preparing for responsible self-government.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 9, 2025
Her hands are tied by D.C.’s unique status under the Home Rule Act, which granted limited self-government to the District.
From Salon • Sep. 6, 2025
Unlike in classical Athens, however, the power of the city’s civil servants was entirely circumscribed by the king’s, preserving only the outward form, not the substance, of self-government.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
