self-determination
noun
self-de·ter·mi·na·tion
ˌself-di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən 
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
Our ultimate vision is to become an independent state and to exercise our international right to self-determination, free from colonization or coercion.
—
Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
Cottonwood resident Nathan Wayne Entrekin, 51, dressed as Capt. Moroni, a figure from the Book of Mormon who fought for self-determination for the Nephites.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 3 Jan. 2025
Kwanzaa unfolds across seven nights, each of them dedicated to one of seven principles, among them unity, self-determination and collective work.
—Ismail Muhammad, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
Though there are many themes here — race, self-determination, mental illness, the domestic strife that enters into many such show business stories when a person is also a commodity.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for self-determination 
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Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
Cottonwood resident Nathan Wayne Entrekin, 51, dressed as Capt. Moroni, a figure from the Book of Mormon who fought for self-determination for the Nephites.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 3 Jan. 2025
Kwanzaa unfolds across seven nights, each of them dedicated to one of seven principles, among them unity, self-determination and collective work.
—Ismail Muhammad, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
Though there are many themes here — race, self-determination, mental illness, the domestic strife that enters into many such show business stories when a person is also a commodity.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for self-determination
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 21 Jan. 2025.
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