self-determination
/ˌself dɪˌtɜːmɪˈneɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌself dɪˌtɜːrmɪˈneɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌself-di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən/ (ame, mw)
self-determination — noun
1. the power to make your own life choices — for example, deciding your career, whe
the power to make your own life choices — for example, deciding your career, where to live, or whom to marry — without being controlled by another person or group.
Niran worked hard and saved money so he could study abroad — that was self-determination.
self-determination as a personal goal
Mira argued that self-determination lets people say no to things they do not want.
The new law gives elderly residents more self-determination over their daily routines in care homes.
Tanvi sees self-determination as the right to decide where she lives and who she marries.
Beatriz chose a career in nursing instead of taking over her family's shop — that was self-determination.
- autonomy
more formal, often used in philosophy or ethics
- free will
focuses on the philosophical ability to choose, not the practical power to act
- self-rule
less common for individuals; usually applied to groups
- personal agency
academic term for the capacity to act independently
- dependence
relying on others to make decisions for you
- coercion
being forced to act against your will
文法句型
self-determination + over + noun phrase
right to self-determination
someone's self-determination
用法筆記
Often used in discussions of personal freedom, disability rights, and individual development. Unlike 'independence', self-determination does not require separation from others — it focuses on having the power to make choices within your circumstances.
常見錯誤
2. the right held by any people who share a land or culture to decide their own for
the right held by any people who share a land or culture to decide their own form of government, free from foreign control.
In 1947, India's struggle for self-determination resulted in independence from British rule.
collocation: struggle for self-determination
The United Nations supports the right of self-determination for people living under foreign rule.
collocation: right of self-determination
The Kurdish people have long argued for self-determination in the lands they call home.
Emre's grandfather fought in the war so his country could achieve self-determination.
International courts examine whether self-determination gives a region the right to break away.
- sovereignty
legal term for full supreme authority over a territory; stronger than self-determination
- independence
focuses on the end result of being free from foreign control
- self-governance
emphasises the day-to-day running of one's own affairs
- autonomy
a more limited form of self-rule, usually within a larger state
- colonial rule
government by an outside power over a territory
- foreign domination
control by another country or external force
文法句型
struggle for self-determination
right of self-determination
principle of self-determination
demand self-determination
用法筆記
Most often appears in political, legal, and historical writing. In international law, self-determination is generally considered a right of 'peoples' rather than of ethnic minorities, regional governments, or individuals acting alone — a distinction that has generated much legal debate.