What does self-control mean?

Definitions for self-control
self-con·trol

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word self-control.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. self-denial, self-discipline, self-controlnoun

    the act of denying yourself; controlling your impulses

  2. self-control, self-possession, possession, willpower, will power, self-command, self-willnoun

    the trait of resolutely controlling your own behavior

Wiktionary

  1. self-controlnoun

    The ability to control one's desires and impulses; willpower.

Wikipedia

  1. Self-control

    Self-control, an aspect of inhibitory control, is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior in the face of temptations and impulses. As an executive function, self-control is a cognitive process that is necessary for regulating one's behavior in order to achieve specific goals.A related concept in psychology is emotional self-regulation. Self-control is thought to be like a muscle. According to studies, self-regulation, whether emotional or behavioral, was proven to be a limited resource which functions like energy. In the short term, overuse of self-control will lead to depletion. However, in the long term, the use of self-control can strengthen and improve over time.Self-control is also a key concept in the general theory of crime, a major theory in criminology. The theory was developed by Michael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi in their book titled A General Theory of Crime, published in 1990. Gottfredson and Hirschi define self-control as the differential tendency of individuals to avoid criminal acts independent of the situations in which they find themselves. Individuals with low self-control tend to be impulsive, insensitive towards others, risk takers, short-sighted, and nonverbal. About 70% of the variance in questionaire data operationalizing one construct of Self-Control had been found to be genetic.

ChatGPT

  1. self-control

    Self-control is the ability to regulate one's emotions, behaviors and desires in order to achieve long-term goals. It involves resisting short-term temptation, delaying gratification and controlling impulses, often for the sake of overall wellness or success.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Self-controlnoun

    control of one's self; restraint exercised over one's self; self-command

Wikidata

  1. Self-control

    Self-control is the ability to control one's emotions, behavior, and desires in order to obtain some reward, or avoid some punishment. Presumably, some reward or punishment is operating in the short term which precludes, or reduces, the later reward or punishment. In psychology it is sometimes called self-regulation.

The Roycroft Dictionary

  1. self-control

    The ability to restrain a laugh at the wrong place.

Editors Contribution

  1. self-control

    The ability to manage our action, behavior, feelings, expression, response, thoughts and choice.

    Self-control is a vital life skill innate in every animal and human being.


    Submitted by MaryC on July 13, 2016  

Matched Categories

How to pronounce self-control?

How to say self-control in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of self-control in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of self-control in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of self-control in a Sentence

  1. Alicia Grandey:

    If youre impulsive or constantly told how to do your job, it may be harder to rein in your emotions all day, and when you get home, you dont have that self-control to stop after one drink. nurses, for example, may amplify or fake their emotions for clear reasons.

  2. Todd Hare:

    Thus far, self-control has proven a very difficult thing to train, if IBMT can be used to reduce cravings in addicts and/or improve self-regulation when experiencing cravings in a manner that does not require increased attention or cognitive effort, that would be a very exciting step forward.

  3. Ralph Waldo Emerson:

    A man makes inferiors his superiors by heat; self-control is the rule.

  4. Christine Whelan:

    Self-control is a muscle that gets strong(er) when you exercise it, when we try to stop ourselves from eating overly caloric foods or smoking, we might be successful all day long.

  5. Daryl Appleton:

    A lot of my clients engage in a Dry-January as a mental and emotional detox and ritual in self-control, depending on whom the person is, what their history contains and their intentions around drinking for the rest of the year dictate its impact one's overall health.


Translations for self-control

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for self-control »

Translation

Find a translation for the self-control definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"self-control." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/self-control>.

Discuss these self-control definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for self-control? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    a diacritical mark (-) placed above a vowel to indicate a long sound
    A anestrus
    B epiphora
    C macron
    D impounding

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for self-control: