1
as in restraint
the power to control one's actions, impulses, or emotions
she demonstrated an almost unnatural self-restraint during the fight
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2
as in discipline
the checking of one's true feelings and impulses when dealing with others
we must practice self-restraint even with people who are deliberately rude
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Recent Examples of self-restraint
President Joseph Aoun, Lebanon’s army commander until parliament elected him head of state on Jan. 9, called on the people of the south to exercise self-restraint and trust in the Lebanese military.
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Reuters, NBC News, 26 Jan. 2025
But previous presidents adhered to norms of self-restraint.
—Charlie Savage, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
Practice self-restraint as the moon clashes with Mars.
—USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2025
Such self-restraint is vital for AI systems in fields like healthcare, finance and autonomous vehicles, where unchecked intelligence could lead to unintended consequences.
—Amandeep Midha, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for self-restraint
Reuters, NBC News, 26 Jan. 2025
But previous presidents adhered to norms of self-restraint.
—Charlie Savage, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
Practice self-restraint as the moon clashes with Mars.
—USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2025
Such self-restraint is vital for AI systems in fields like healthcare, finance and autonomous vehicles, where unchecked intelligence could lead to unintended consequences.
—Amandeep Midha, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for self-restraint
Cite this Entry
“Self-restraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-restraint. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
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