SELF-COMMAND Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

self-command

noun

ˌself-kə-ˈmand

Definition of self-command

as in restraint

the checking of one's true feelings and impulses when dealing with others a witness practicing remarkable self-command under intense questioning by several members of Congress

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in temperance

the power to control one's actions, impulses, or emotions an aloof man of great self-command but little charm

Synonyms & Similar Words

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-command He was shaped in San Antonio by an environment that demanded alertness, self-command, and the ability to read the room quickly. — Matt Emma, USA Today, 13 May 2026 In his mind, the army was not a caste apart but an instrument of the republic – an arena in which self-command and civic virtue were tested. — Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-command

Noun

The African Union urged Ethiopia and its neighbors to exercise restraint as growing tensions threaten to destabilize the region.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Another worker was seen preparing food without a proper hair restraint, though this was corrected.

— Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of restraint

Noun

At the event, 20 experts from a variety of disciplines crowded into a room in a Fort Lauderdale hotel and tried to address the growing concern of rising carbon-dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
The academies hire civilian faculty to offer expertise in topics and disciplines that military officers don’t study as part of their careers, such as English and the humanities.

— Annie Ma, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of discipline

Noun

International experts have denounced President Faustin-Archange Touadera’s repression of the opposition and push to eliminate term limits as worrisome turns toward autocracy.

— Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Students were recorded chanting against the morality police and political repression.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of repression

Noun

Many visual motifs emerge, most notably the men in the crowd who shed any inhibitions to cry, dance, and belt the songs at the top of their lungs.

— Marshall Shaffer, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
As art and its creators have shed their inhibitions in this post-Sadean world, politicians and cultural commentators have reliably lined up to condemn this total freedom of expression as being dangerous to society.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of inhibition

Noun

The use of pseudonyms by female writers born in the nineteenth century is typically understood as a feminist loophole around the patriarchal suppression of women’s writing.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
Some of the footage was played during a dayslong suppression hearing last December, when the defense argued evidence recovered during the arrest should be suppressed because Mangione’s backpack was improperly searched.

— Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of suppression

Cite this Entry

Style

“Self-command.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-command. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of self-command

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes