noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˌsɛlfdɪˌtɜː(ɹ)mɪˈneɪʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S EH1 L F D IH0 T ER2 M AH0 N EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The ability or human right to make one's own decisions without interference from others
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The political independence of a people.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Topics: government, politics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The collective right of a people to determine its own destiny in the international order, to choose its own political status and to determine its own form of economic, cultural and social development.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Qualifier: international law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
determination of one's own fate or course of action without compulsion
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: free will, discretion
5
noun
Meaning 5
government of a political unit by its own people
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: self-government, self-rule
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: autonomy, liberty
Narrower terms: sovereignty, local option, home rule
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé? Proto-Indo-European *selbh-der. Proto-Germanic *selbaz Old English self Old English self- Middle English self- English self- English determination English self-determination From self- + determination.
Across languages
Translations
46 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
самоопределяне
(samoopredeljane)
— ability or right to make one's own decisions without interference from others
Georgian:
თვითგამორკვევა
(tvitgamorḳveva)
— ability or right to make one's own decisions without interference from others
Hindi:
आत्मनिर्णय
(ātmanirṇay)
— ability or right to make one's own decisions without interference from others
Polish:
samostanowienie
— ability or right to make one's own decisions without interference from others
Arabic:
تَقْرِيرُ المَصِير
(taqrīru al-maṣīr)
— political independence of a people
Armenian:
ինքնորոշում
(inkʻnorošum)
— political independence of a people
Bulgarian:
самоопределе́ние
(samoopredelénie)
— political independence of a people
Catalan:
autodeterminació
— political independence of a people
Chinese Mandarin:
自決 /自决
(zìjué)
— political independence of a people
Czech:
sebeurčení
— political independence of a people
Danish:
selvbestemmelse
— political independence of a people
Dutch:
zelfbeschikking
— political independence of a people
Finnish:
itsemääräämisoikeus
— political independence of a people
French:
autodétermination
— political independence of a people
Galician:
autodeterminación
— political independence of a people
Georgian:
თვითგამორკვევა
(tvitgamorḳveva)
— political independence of a people
German:
Selbstbestimmung
— political independence of a people
Greek:
αυτοδιάθεση
(aftodiáthesi)
— political independence of a people
Hindi:
स्वायत्तता
(svāyattatā)
— political independence of a people
Hindi:
आत्मनिर्णय
(ātmanirṇay)
— political independence of a people
Hungarian:
önrendelkezés
— political independence of a people
Irish:
féinchinneadh
— political independence of a people
Irish:
féinchinntiúchán
— political independence of a people
Italian:
autodeterminazione
— political independence of a people
Kazakh:
өзін-өзі билеу
(özın-özı bileu)
— political independence of a people
Korean:
자결권
(jagyeolgwon)
— political independence of a people
Lithuanian:
apsisprendimas
— political independence of a people
Macedonian:
самоопределување
(samoopredeluvanje)
— political independence of a people
Māori:
motuhaketanga
— political independence of a people
Māori:
tino rangatiratanga
— political independence of a people
Navajo:
tʼáá hó ájítʼéego
— political independence of a people
Norman:
dêtèrminnâtion dé sé
— political independence of a people
Norwegian Bokmål:
selvbestemmelse
— political independence of a people
Norwegian Bokmål:
sjølbestemmelse
— political independence of a people
Persian:
تعیین سرنوشت
(ta'yin-e sarnevešt)
— political independence of a people
Polish:
samostanowienie
— political independence of a people
Portuguese:
autodeterminação
— political independence of a people
Romanian:
autodeterminare
— political independence of a people
Russian:
самоопределе́ние
(samoopredelénije)
— political independence of a people
Spanish:
autodeterminación
— political independence of a people
Swedish:
självbestämmande
— political independence of a people
Turkish:
otodeterminasyon
— political independence of a people
Ukrainian:
самовизначення
(samovyznačennja)
— political independence of a people
Vietnamese:
sự tự quyết
— political independence of a people
Vietnamese:
quyền tự quyết
— political independence of a people
Welsh:
hunanbenderfyniad
— political independence of a people