Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

have a mind of one's own

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.33 in modern English

Syllables: have a -mind of one's own
IPA

33

Scrabble Score

18

Letters

2

Syllables

12

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To form one's personal opinions and choose one's actions without being governed by the views or choices of others; to be independently minded; to think for oneself.

verb

To seem to possess animate qualities or a conscious will, especially a will to misbehave.

Example Sentences

""Don't be anxious, daddy!" said he, with assumed playfulness; "she's not a girl to take the first that offers. She has a mind of her own.""
"Captain Evans had a mind of his own, and did not choose to adopt any man's judgment or prejudices blindly."
"That little man has a mind of his own, and even if I do figure on his payroll as confidential secretary, he doesn't tell me everything he knows."
"The committee, under Lord Coleraine, its Chairman, has a mind of its own, and is not deterred by argument where it is convinced that it has a good case."
"Be a little audacious — disagree on at least one thing so they know you have a mind of your own."
"This washing machine never sticks to the programmed cycle. It has a mind of its own."

Inflected Forms

has a mind of one's own (present, singular) having a mind of one's own (participle, present) had a mind of one's own (participle, past) had a mind of one's own (past)

Phrases

make up one's mind

Frequently Paired Words

make up one's mind

Questions

What does have a mind of one's own mean?: To form one's personal opinions and choose one's actions without being governed by the views or choices of others; to be independently minded; to think for oneself.

How to pronounce have a mind of one's own

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “have a mind of one's own”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “have a mind of one's own”.
Repeat and practice — Say “have a mind of one's own” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.