self-determination

noun

self-de·​ter·​mi·​na·​tion ˌself-di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce self-determination (audio)
1
: free choice of one's own acts or states without external compulsion
2
: determination by the people of a territorial unit of their own future political status

Examples of self-determination in a Sentence

the United States officially recognizes 18 as the age at which someone is entitled to self-determination rebels fighting for the territory's self-determination
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Puerto Ricans must continue to demand their right to independence, decolonization, and self-determination, working tirelessly toward a free, democratic, and prosperous nation. Javier A Hernandez, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Nov. 2024 The Underdog Effect is, at its core, a lesson in optimistic self-determination, and could be your greatest asset. Follow me on LinkedIn. Gena Cox, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 Beginning in the spring of 2019, as many as a million of Hong Kong’s 7 million residents had turned out to support self-determination and oppose an unpopular extradition law – seen as part of an effort by Beijing to tighten its grip on the former British colony, which reverted to China in 1997. Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Nov. 2024 The doc’s title is lifted from a book written by Payá’s father, Oswaldo Payá, a revered activist who believed in the self-determination of the island nation without U.S. intervention, which was published posthumously. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for self-determination 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-determination was circa 1670

Dictionary Entries Near self-determination

Cite this Entry

“Self-determination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-determination. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

self-determination

noun
self-de·​ter·​mi·​na·​tion
ˌself-di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən
1
: free choice of one's own acts without outside pressure
2
: the deciding by the people of a place of the form of government they will have

More from Merriam-Webster on self-determination

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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