as in voluntary
done, made, or given with one's own free will
if the candidates all follow self-imposed campaign-spending limits, government oversight is unnecessary
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Recent Examples of self-imposed
Your body begins to abandon you, but remaining are your responsibilities, a lot of which are self-imposed.
—
John Hopewell, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025
Many of these restrictions are self-imposed, in coordination with the European Commission, and can be changed with sufficient political will.
—Dalibor Rohac, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2025
But when Laguna Beach leveled up in competition last week, the team had to overcome some challenges that were self-imposed.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 18 Sep. 2025
The timeline and the stakes are all self-imposed.
—Kristen Arnett
august 21, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
Michigan self-imposed a two-game suspension for Moore during the upcoming 2025-26 football season.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Similarly, Chestnut Carbon self-imposed a 2030 deadline to acquire and reforest 500,000 acres of natural land for its program.
—Xander Peters, Time, 30 July 2025
As Senate Republican leadership tries to settle disputes and get everybody on board, there is a lack of consensus as to when a vote will even happen - and a fast-approaching and self-imposed July 4 deadline that suggests everyone could be working this weekend.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 26 June 2025
Such is life in the era of luxury-tax penalties due to the second apron that the NBA has foolishly self-imposed on itself.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 17 June 2025
John Hopewell, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025
Many of these restrictions are self-imposed, in coordination with the European Commission, and can be changed with sufficient political will.
—Dalibor Rohac, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2025
But when Laguna Beach leveled up in competition last week, the team had to overcome some challenges that were self-imposed.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 18 Sep. 2025
The timeline and the stakes are all self-imposed.
—Kristen Arnett
august 21, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
Michigan self-imposed a two-game suspension for Moore during the upcoming 2025-26 football season.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Similarly, Chestnut Carbon self-imposed a 2030 deadline to acquire and reforest 500,000 acres of natural land for its program.
—Xander Peters, Time, 30 July 2025
As Senate Republican leadership tries to settle disputes and get everybody on board, there is a lack of consensus as to when a vote will even happen - and a fast-approaching and self-imposed July 4 deadline that suggests everyone could be working this weekend.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 26 June 2025
Such is life in the era of luxury-tax penalties due to the second apron that the NBA has foolishly self-imposed on itself.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 17 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-imposed
Adjective
-
Back in August, Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor said roughly 300,000 federal workers would be gone from the government by the end of the year, noting that 80% of those departures were voluntary.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
28 Oct. 2025
-
It is not accredited by any major zoo or sanctuary associations, which is voluntary and comes with stricter welfare and conservation standards.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Within the past couple of years, the group has become a part of Arrowhead Kingdom, an all-volunteer national network of Chiefs fan groups.—
Hannah Kirby,
Journal Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2023
-
That’s noteworthy for a show based at a high-school auditorium in Litchfield and run by a staff that is almost entirely volunteer, including the show’s star and its producer.—
Susan Dunne,
Hartford Courant,
18 Aug. 2022
Adjective
-
Those willing to put in the time (and those who aren't easily wigged out) may find to their confused delight that Tippett is the maddest creative god of them all.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Whether the President will be willing to shift gears, which even some of his traditional Republican allies are suggesting, is unclear.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-imposed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-imposed. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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