Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective autonomous contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of autonomous are free, independent, and sovereign. While all these words mean "not subject to the rule or control of another," autonomous stresses independence in matters pertaining to self-government.

in this denomination each congregation is regarded as autonomous

When might free be a better fit than autonomous?

While the synonyms free and autonomous are close in meaning, free stresses the complete absence of external rule and the full right to make all of one's own decisions.

you're free to do as you like

When is it sensible to use independent instead of autonomous?

The synonyms independent and autonomous are sometimes interchangeable, but independent implies a standing alone; applied to a state it implies lack of connection with any other having power to interfere with its citizens, laws, or policies.

the colony's struggle to become independent

When would sovereign be a good substitute for autonomous?

The words sovereign and autonomous can be used in similar contexts, but sovereign stresses the absence of a superior power and implies supremacy within a thing's own domain or sphere.

separate and sovereign armed services

Examples of autonomous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Salesforce introduced autonomous agents in the last week. Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2024 More:Detroit to launch free 'The Connect' autonomous shuttle 2-way route service More:Detroit neighborhood named top 'up-and-coming' in US New restaurant Yellow Light Coffee and Donuts, a coffee shop on Detroit's east side, will open its second location on Michigan Central's east entrance. Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 18 Sep. 2024 Estimates project that widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles could ultimately reduce traffic fatalities by as much as 90% once the technology fully matures. Smriti Kirubanandan, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024 But as autonomous driving gains real-world traction, scrutiny on (and concerns about) robotaxi companies has ramped up. Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for autonomous 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'autonomous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near autonomous

Cite this Entry

“Autonomous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autonomous. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on autonomous

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