self-control.

The regulation of one’s impulses, emotions or actions in relation to an aim or constraint.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• exercise of self-control
• self-control under pressure

On the page

She exercised self-control by delaying her reply until she could state the objection clearly.

Self-control under pressure was affected by fatigue and the demands of the task.

Usage notes

Primary category: psychology / character / human behavior. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: characterization, motivation analysis, behavioral comparison, qualification. Disciplines: psychology, social behavior, character writing. Commonness: common.