Definition

Noun: - Social control achieved as a manifestation of self-will or general consent: Auto limitation refers to the process where individuals or a group regulate their own behavior voluntarily, without external coercion. It is control exercised from within, based on personal discipline or collective agreement.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The community's peace was maintained not by laws, but by a strong sense of auto limitation among its members.
  • Successful democracies often rely on the auto limitation of political powers to prevent abuse.

Advanced Usage

• Concept in Political Science: In political theory, describes a sovereign power voluntarily restricting its own authority, often through a constitution or charter.
  • The king's acceptance of the charter was an act of auto limitation, binding his own royal power.

Variants and Related Words

• Self-limitation (n): A near-synonymous term focusing on the individual's act of self-restraint.
  • His careful diet was an exercise in self-limitation.
• Self-restraint (n): The act of holding oneself back from impulses or desires.
• Self-discipline (n): The ability to control one's feelings and overcome one's weaknesses.

Synonyms

• Self-restraint
• Self-control
• Self-regulation
• Voluntary restraint

Related Phrases

• Auto-limitation of sovereignty: A specific political doctrine where a state voluntarily accepts limits on its sovereign power in international relations.
  • By joining the treaty, the nation practiced an auto-limitation of its sovereignty.

Notes on Meaning

This is a specialized term, most commonly found in academic contexts such as political science, sociology, and philosophy. It emphasizes that the source of the limiting control is internal (auto-) rather than external.

Noun

1. social control achieved as a manifestation of self-will or general consent