Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Self-determination \Self`-de*ter`mi*na"tion\, n. Determination by one's self; or, determination of one's acts or states without the necessitating force of motives; -- applied to the voluntary or activity.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1680s, "determination of mind," from self- + determination. Political sense is attested from 1911, popularized by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924).
Wiktionary
n. 1 The ability or right to make one's own decisions without interference from others 2 (context politics English) The political independence of a people
WordNet
n. government of a country by its own people [syn: self-government, self-rule]
determination of one's own fate or course of action without compulsion
Wikipedia
Self-determination may refer to:
- Self-determination, the freedom of the people of a given territory or national grouping to determine their own political status and how they will be governed without undue influence from any other country
- Informational self-determination, a position similar to the right to privacy but with unique characteristics that distinguish it from the "right to privacy" in the United States tradition
- Self-determination theory, a macro theory of human motivation and personality
- Native American self-determination
- Self-Determination , a left-wing nationalist political movement in Kosovo promoting participatory and direct democracy, as well as the right of self-determination
The right of nations to self-determination (from ) is a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a jus cogens rule), binding, as such, on the United Nations as authoritative interpretation of the Charter’s norms. It states that nations, based on respect for the principle of equal rights and fair equality of opportunity, have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no interference. This principle can be traced to the Atlantic Charter, signed on 14 August 1941, by Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, and Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who pledged The Eight Principal points of the Charter. It also is derived from principles espoused by President Woodrow Wilson following World War I, after which some new nation states were formed, or previous states were revived after the dissolution of empires. The principle does not state how the decision is to be made, nor what the outcome should be, whether it be independence, federation, protection, some form of autonomy or full assimilation. Neither does it state what the delimitation between nations should be— nor what constitutes a nation. There are conflicting definitions and legal criteria for determining which groups may legitimately claim the right to self-determination.
On 14 December 1960, the United Nations General Assembly adopted United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) under titled Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, which supported the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples in providing an inevitable legal linkage between self-determination and its goal of decolonisation, It postulated a new international law-based right of freedom also in economic self-determination. Article 5 states: Immediate steps shall be taken in Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories, or all other territories which have not yet attained independence, to transfer all powers to the peoples of those territories, without any conditions or reservations, in accordance with their freely expressed will and desire, without any distinction as to race, creed or colour, in order to enable them to enjoy complete independence and freedom.
On 15 December 1960 the United Nations General Assembly adopted United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1541 (XV) under titled 'Principles which should guide members in determining whether or nor an obligation exists to transmit the information called for under Article 73e of the United Nations Charter in Article 3,' provided that [ i ] nadequacy of political, economic, social or educational preparedness should never serve as a pretext for delaying independence. To monitor the implementation of Resolution 1514, in 1961 the General Assembly created the Special Committee referred to popularly as the Special Committee on Decolonization to ensure decolonization complete compliance with the principle of self-determination in General Assembly Resolution 1541 (XV), 12 Principle of the Annex defining free association with an independent State, integration into an independent State, or independence as the three legitimate options of full self-government compliance with the principle of self-determination.
By extension the term self-determination has come to mean the free choice of one's own acts without external compulsion.
Usage examples of "self-determination".
Chaos knows that slipping the germs of self-determination past the Fates was a tricky bit of business for the Goddess of Fortune and me.
The 125th Street Militia, a new black self-determination force that had been boasting for months that it was buying tanks from Syria, not only unveiled three armoured monsters at a noisy pressconference but proceeded to send them across Columbus Avenue on a search-and-destroy mission into Hispano Manhattan, leaving four blocks in flames and dozens dead.
That the man I knew as wise should once have been so confused, so bamboozled by Cupid, so befooled by a girl, so dominated by his instructors, so wanting in self-determination, was unbearable.
Normally software that powerful would swiftly evolve up to full SI status, but this one had been formatted by the SI with strategic limiters written in to prevent any outbreak of self-determination.
Darkover is an Empire colony and while we will not interfere with the self-determination of your people, we do not admit that these overflights come under your jurisdiction to protest.
If providers began to demand contentment and self-determination, it would create chaos.
Inspired by Mary Jean's speeches on self-determination, motivation, and how they too could be a winner, they sought Tucker out to have their one adventurous affair with a jet pilot.