self-governing

adjective

ˌself-ˈgə-vər-niŋ How to pronounce self-governing (audio)
Definition of self-governingnext
1
as in independent
not being under the rule or control of another she left home and became entirely self-governing and financially independent at the age of 18

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2
as in democratic
of, relating to, or favoring political democracy a self-governing nation that could be a role model for other countries in the region

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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-governing These comments came after recent talks between Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about American support for the self-governing island. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 14 May 2026 When those three things come together, patient safety stops being a values statement and becomes a self-governing system. — Joe Kiani, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026 The collection of 18 islands between Scotland and Iceland is a self-governing region of Denmark, and the 54,000 people who live there have their own language, parliament, and culture distinct from the Danes. — Callie Radke Stevens, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2025 Administration officials heralded the law as liberation from the constant vulnerability of relying on chip-makers in Taiwan, a self-governing island only 100 miles off the Chinese coast that is claimed by Beijing. — Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for self-governing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-governing
  1. independent
  2. democratic
  3. autonomous
  4. 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
  • Ideological fractures linger among Democrats Some Democratic officials worry that the rise of democratic socialists within the party presents a political problem for candidates in swing districts.
    — Steve Peoples, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • While independence allows central bankers to make decisions without short-term political interference from presidents wanting to juice the economy, credible external scrutiny helps provide the democratic legitimacy for that independence.
    — Paul Wachtel, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of democratic
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

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Cite this Entry

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

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