self-government

noun

self-gov·​ern·​ment ˌself-ˈgə-vər(n)-mənt 

-ˈgə-vᵊm-ənt

1

: self-control, self-command

2

: government under the control and direction of the inhabitants of a political unit rather than by an outside authority

broadly : control of one's own affairs

Synonyms

• democracy
• republic
• self-rule

Examples of self-government in a Sentence

self-government implies faith in the wisdom and essential goodness of the people

steely self-government was all that kept her from lashing out at the rude customer

championed self-government for the nation's indigenous peoples

Recent Examples on the Web

In doing so, Americans claimed for themselves the right to self-government and established themselves as the ultimate authority and power. —Nisha Whitehead, Orange County Register, 16 Mar. 2025

Democracy is self-government, the business of everyday people governing themselves. —Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 5 Oct. 2024

Our country should be placed speedily above the plane of confessing herself a failure at self-government. —Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 21 Feb. 2025

In 2008, a majority of Greenlanders voted for further home rule, to, in essence, continue a process towards sovereignty and self-government. —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 10 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for self-government

• misgovernment
• nongovernment

Kids Definition

self-government

noun

self-gov·​ern·​ment

ˈself-ˈgəv-ər(n)-mənt,

-ˈgəv-ᵊm-ənt

1

: control over one's own actions : self-control

2

: government by action of the people making up a community

especially : democratic government

self-governed

-ˈgəv-ərnd

adjective

self-governing

-ər-niŋ

adjective