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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Onstage, Erica Payne, the group’s founder, a former Democratic strategist with a Wharton M.B.A., put up a slide of survey results suggesting that the movement might find supporters among both Democrats and Republicans.—
Evan Osnos,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
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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
Adjective
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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
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The decision was apparently made without the usual input from independent outside advisers.—
Rob Stein,
NPR,
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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Preventing germs from taking over your cookout To prevent bacteria in raw meat from contaminating other foods, use one cutting board or plate for raw meat, poultry and seafood and a separate one for produce, bread, and other foods that won't be cooked, the CDC suggests.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
25 May 2025
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The victim was seated in his vehicle and became involved in a heated exchange with an unidentified male in a separate car, according to police.—
Ikram Mohamed,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-ruling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-ruling. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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