self-ruling

adjective

ˌself-ˈrü-liŋ How to pronounce self-ruling (audio)
Definition of self-rulingnext
1
as in democratic
of, relating to, or favoring political democracy having rid itself of the yoke of colonialism, the new nation chose to be a self-ruling state

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in independent
not being under the rule or control of another was granted special status as a self-ruling province

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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-ruling But the real change might be in East Asia, where Kim’s belligerence and rising fears regarding China’s designs on self-ruling Taiwan had already reenergized the nuclear debate. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Mar. 2026 Like Assad before him, Sharaa now faces complex negotiations toward bringing these self-ruling territories under his command. — Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025 In recent years, Beijing has ramped up economic, diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan – a self-ruling democracy the Chinese Communist Party claims as its own despite having never governed it. — Eric Cheung, CNN, 13 Mar. 2023 In a meeting earlier with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Raisi expressed support for China's crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong and claim to self-ruling democratic Taiwan. — Bradford Betz, Fox News, 17 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for self-ruling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-ruling
  1. democratic
  2. independent
  3. autonomous
  4. sovereign
  5. separate
Adjective
  • My kids can’t vote yet, but the consequences of democratic decisions already affect nearly every part of their lives.
    — Jeanette Senecal, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • European institutions have warned of democratic backsliding in Serbia in successive reports tracking the progress of candidate countries.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of democratic
Adjective
  • Four years ago, Tennessee's governor ordered another independent review into capital punishment after abruptly stopping the April 2022 execution of Oscar Smith.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • LionTree is an independent banking firm, investing in companies such as Fanatics and Fubo and advising high-profile deals such as Amazon’s acquisition of MGM and the merger of CBS and Viacom.
    — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of independent
Adjective
  • In Texas, Waymo had 1,154 autonomous vehicles authorized for commercial use as of Friday, including 359 of its new Ojai models, which feature a low step and doors that slide open and shut.
    — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
  • This includes coordinated sensing across multiple domains and autonomous operations in contested, disconnected, and degraded environments.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of autonomous
Adjective
  • Yields on French government bonds, known as OATs, have surged to multi-decade highs this year, sparking concerns the country could be headed toward a sovereign debt crisis.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In the first nine months of 2026, regional sovereign investors deployed $102 billion across 245 transactions, according to Global SWF, a platform that tracks sovereign wealth funds.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of sovereign
Adjective
  • Lucy’s always been a hard vocalist to classify, intensely emotive but largely separate from the monster-growl arms race.
    — H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Accessibility Seven king and double/queen accessible rooms are fashioned with private, separate entrances and patios.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of separate

Browse Nearby Words

self-rule
self-ruling
self-sacrifice
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Cite this Entry

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

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