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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Recent Examples of self-governing
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.
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Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2023
Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing claims as its territory, is under growing pressure from China, which has not ruled out using force to seize control.
—Dan De Luce, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2023
The Chinese Communist Party claims the self-governing democracy of Taiwan as part of its territory, despite having never controlled it, and refuses to rule out the use of force.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 13 Mar. 2023
The satirical news follows the very real law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that wrests control of the resort’s self-governing district.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2023
Disney’s self-governing status endured because the company’s unrivaled political power in Florida made its arrangement virtually untouchable.
—Ron Desantis, WSJ, 28 Feb. 2023
Beijing suspended talks in August after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, the self-governing island China claims as its own.
—Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2023
The creation of the self-governing district was instrumental in Disney's decision to build near Orlando in the 1960s.
—CBS News, 27 Feb. 2023
The creation of the self-governing district was instrumental in Disney’s decision to build near Orlando in the 1960s.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-governing
Adjective
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Compute, sensors, steering, braking, and charging systems are all integrated into a unified autonomy stack rather than operating as independent subsystems.—
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Camera Cinemas — the independent outfit led by Jack NyBlom, Jim Zuur and Dennis Skaggs — came in, renovated and added four auditoriums and reopened in July 2002 with a combo of first-run blockbusters and independent movies.—
Adjective
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Bolstering the state’s dependence on fossil fuels forces us to keep funding the destruction of our environment, health, and a civil democratic society.—
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The country’s democratic movement is at a crossroads.—
Adjective
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This aerial view shows icebergs floating in the waters beaten down by the sun with buildings in the background off Nuuk, Greenland, on March 11, 2025, on the day of Greenland, the autonomous Danish territory, legislative elections.—
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The goal is to create autonomous digital twins capable of real-time engineering design and continuous optimization.—
Adjective
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And how is attacking Venezuela with impunity any different from any other dictator plundering sovereign countries?—
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The customer list reads like a who’s who of global enterprise, with Novo Nordisk, the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund — the world’s largest — plus Bridgewater, Stripe, and Slack, all running Claude at scale.—
Cite this Entry
“Self-governing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-governing. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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