self-governed

adjective

ˌself-ˈgə-vərnd How to pronounce self-governed (audio)
Definition of self-governednext
as in independent
not being under the rule or control of another far beyond the reach of civil or military authorities, the settlers on the frontier were essentially self-governed

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of self-governed Villa Marin is self-governed by its residents who own their apartments and pay an average of $6,000 a month in HOA fees. — Itay Hod, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 If individuals are self-governed and do the right thing, less laws and cameras are needed. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026 As a management company, RealManage supports the association’s right to be self-governed. — Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026 Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949, after Nationalist forces fled to the island following their defeat by Chinese Communist powers. — Solcyré Burga, Time, 29 Dec. 2025 Overcrowded, under-resourced, and often effectively self-governed, these facilities have long served as incubators where armed groups recruit, reorganize, and expand their influence. — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 10 Dec. 2025 Greenland, which became self-governed in 2009, was colonized by Denmark some 300 years ago and still controls Greenland’s foreign and defense policies. — Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025 Local nonprofit Safe Ground Sacramento was responsible for operating the camp, which was self-governed by residents. — Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-governed
  1. independent
  2. autonomous
  3. sovereign
Adjective
  • Meta is also promising to do a better job of verifying users' ages and has agreed to report regularly to an independent auditor.
    — Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The agreement also fully exempts credits for independent film — which account for 10% of the $750 million program — from the cap.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of independent
Adjective
  • On the Chinese side of the border, in the autonomous region of Tibet, the deluge overwhelmed Gyirong Port, a major border crossing with Nepal that, in scenes reminiscent of a disaster movie, appears to have been completely washed away.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The pilot covered one subsystem, rather than demonstrating autonomous maintenance of an entire quantum computer.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of autonomous
Adjective
  • When the 2008 global financial crisis triggered the eurozone crisis, the deficit countries experienced sovereign debt crises, unemployment, austerity, and prolonged stagnation that unwound the imbalances.
    — MICHAEL PETTIS, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Cosine, pitched as Britain’s first fully sovereign frontier AI model, has attracted corporate partners including BAE Systems, PwC, and Lloyds Banking Group, the FT reports.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of sovereign

Browse Nearby Words

self-governance
self-governed
self-governing
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Cite this Entry

“Self-governed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-governed. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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