self-government

noun

self-gov·​ern·​ment ˌself-ˈgə-vər(n)-mənt How to pronounce self-government (audio)
-ˈgə-vᵊm-ənt
1
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

Examples of self-government in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Only 33 words and unseen by others until long after his assassination, Lincoln’s pithy memo conveyed his full range of thought on self-government. Heather Wilhelm, National Review, 22 Feb. 2024 Our right of local self-government is critically impaired, and our legislature in Austin continues to cede control to Washington D.C. Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024 The fundamental problem with the decisions by Maine and Colorado is a legal misunderstanding that challenges the core of self-government. Nr Editors, National Review, 5 Jan. 2024 The fundamental problem with the Maine and Colorado decisions is that they are mistaken as a matter of law — and not in a merely technical way, but in one that strikes at the heart of self-government. The Editors, National Review, 30 Dec. 2023 This struck the British as unreasonable, but being unreasonable in devotion to liberty and self-government turns out to be an excellent basis upon which to found a nation. The Editors, National Review, 16 Dec. 2023 To dispossess people of their land, seize it for themselves, administer the transfer of treasure and labor across borders, brutally suppress movements for self-government, and feed media with one-sided narratives—all of those and more were the hallmarks of an empire coming into view. Beth Py-Lieberman, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023 The polluters have gained a high degree of control over the processes of self-government. David Remnick, The New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2023 And even after Trump had tried to undermine the principle of self-government on which the United States was founded, his followers stayed loyal. Heather Cox Richardson, The New Republic, 26 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-government.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-government was in 1622

Dictionary Entries Near self-government

Cite this Entry

“Self-government.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-government. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on self-government

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