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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Recent Examples of self-ruling
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-ruling
Adjective
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The polling data suggests growing dissatisfaction within the Democratic base, particularly concerning Schumer's response to rising antisemitism and his leadership during recent political challenges.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 May 2025
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In theory, these armchair diagnoses were an oblique means for Fielder to gain an audience with Rep. Steve Cohen, a Democratic congressman from Tennessee who’s both a member of the House’s aviation subcommittee and an advocate for the neurodivergent.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Trump and his team take an expansive view of the president’s powers, which has been met with resistance from federal judges, congressional Democrats, and independent agencies such as the GAO.—
Haisten Willis,
The Washington Examiner,
27 May 2025
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As pope, Leo serves as leader of both the Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church, and Vatican City, an independent state.—
Russ Bynum,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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Latinum, the second-place winner, provides payment middleware enabling Model Context Protocol builders to monetize their services, allowing AI agents to manage budgets and make autonomous payments.—
Boaz Sobrado,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
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Baku, for its part, now positioned itself as a more autonomous actor, capable of engaging with Russia, Turkey, and the West on its own terms.—
Zaur Shiriyev,
Foreign Affairs,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Chicago Tribune Is the Vatican considered a sovereign nation?—
Russ Bynum,
Chicago Tribune,
25 May 2025
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Documents distributed by Qatari foreign agents working for Venable, for instance, talk up what Qatar views as the positive effects of investments made by its sovereign wealth fund while downplaying the Gulf nation’s links to terrorist organizations.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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The Center for Biological Diversity had filed a separate, similar lawsuit.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
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The motor vehicle offenses are separate from charges filed against the teen on May 15, when he was charged with first-degree riot, conspiracy to commit first-degree riot and first-degree reckless endangerment.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-ruling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-ruling. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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