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self-policing

American  
[self-puh-lees-ing] / ˌsɛlf pəˈlis ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. (of a group of people) independently monitoring the behavior of its own members and addressing any failure to abide by established rules or laws.

  2. (of a system, program, etc.) having a built-in mechanism for detecting and stopping inadmissible actions.


noun

  1. the act, on the part of a group of people, of independently monitoring the behavior of its own members and addressing any failure to abide by established rules or laws.

  2. the function of a mechanism built into a system, program, etc., that detects and stops inadmissible actions.

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.

See Examples For:

The only sport I am aware of where it doesn't happen, and I'd happily stand corrected here, is golf, because of its self-policing nature.

From BBC Jul. 29, 2026

Finra, the industry’s self-policing group, adjudicates disputes among advisers, brokers, investors and institutions.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 30, 2026

A friend of Neumann’s who just started a job working in the kitchen of a state-run mental health facility has instead taken to self-policing, he recalled.

From Salon Jun. 14, 2026

A spokesperson for the commission issued a statement to The Times that called for more self-policing.

From Los Angeles Times May 28, 2026

The commissioner would be able to investigate integrity threats, free from the conflicts inherent in self-policing.

From MarketWatch Mar. 18, 2026

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