self-restraint

noun

self-re·​straint ˌself-ri-ˈstrānt How to pronounce self-restraint (audio)
: restraint exercised over one's own impulses, emotions, or desires : self-control
A bitter answer leaped to his tongue, but he was learning self-restraint.Somerset Maugham

Examples of self-restraint in a Sentence

she demonstrated an almost unnatural self-restraint during the fight we must practice self-restraint even with people who are deliberately rude
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.
Planning for potential conflict—not to mention decision-making in the heat of a crisis—will be more challenging if Canberra, Tokyo, and Seoul question American intent or self-restraint. Michael Green, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024 Does a teenager really operate such that a six-game suspension prospect as against a one-game suspension prospect (the NCS policy) tips the scale in his psyche in favor of exercising self-restraint? Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024 For once, the candidate exhibited real self-restraint by not mentioning the film. Tom Brueggemann, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2024 Countries will exercise self-restraint, accepting normative constraints to protect their greater interests. Tanisha M. Fazal, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for self-restraint 

Word History

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-restraint was in 1656

Dictionary Entries Near self-restraint

Cite this Entry

“Self-restraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-restraint. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

self-restraint

noun
self-re·​straint
ˌsel-fri-ˈstrānt
: proper control over one's actions or emotions

More from Merriam-Webster on self-restraint

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