self-determination: Meaning and Definition of

self-de•ter•mi•na•tion

Pronunciation: (self'di-tûr"mu-nā'shun, self"-), [key]
— n.
  1. determination by oneself or itself, without outside influence.
  2. freedom to live as one chooses, or to act or decide without consulting another or others.
  3. the determining by the people of the form their government shall have, without reference to the wishes of any other nation, esp. by people of a territory or former colony.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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