self-rule

noun

ˈself-ˈrül How to pronounce self-rule (audio)
Synonyms of self-rulenext
: self-government

Synonyms of self-rule

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of self-rule in a Sentence

the newly created United States opted for self-rule rather than monarchy
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Greenland had achieved self-rule in 2009, and appeared to be on a path toward independence. — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 Hundreds gathered in Copenhagen on Saturday in support of Greenland and its right to self-rule. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 17 Jan. 2026 That spirit of self-rule returns Tuesday, when primary voters will pick party nominees across the 2026 ballot. — Gromer Jeffers Jr, Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026 Among those present were members of the community La Candelaria, in the municipality of San Cristobal de las Casas, which has been demanding self-rule for years. — ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-rule

Word History

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-rule was in 1660

Rhymes for self-rule

See All Rhymes for self-rule

Browse Nearby Words

self-rolled
self-rule
self-ruling
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Self-rule.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-rule. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

self-rule

noun
ˈsel-ˈfrül
: self-government sense 2
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All