autonomous

adjective

au·​ton·​o·​mous ȯ-ˈtä-nə-məs How to pronounce autonomous (audio)
1
a
: having the right or power of self-government
an autonomous territory
b
: undertaken or carried on without outside control : self-contained
an autonomous school system
2
a
: existing or capable of existing independently
an autonomous zooid
b
: responding, reacting, or developing independently of the whole
an autonomous growth
3
: controlled by the autonomic nervous system
4
: of, relating to, or marked by autonomy
autonomously adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for autonomous

free, independent, sovereign, autonomous mean not subject to the rule or control of another.

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

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

sovereign stresses the absence of a superior power and implies supremacy within a thing's own domain or sphere.

separate and sovereign armed services

autonomous stresses independence in matters pertaining to self-government.

in this denomination each congregation is regarded as autonomous

Examples of autonomous in a Sentence

Native American nations are regarded as autonomous in many respects and thus not subject to a number of state and local laws.
Recent Examples on the Web Jijo Malayil 6 days ago 0 Science MIT’s new 3D shadow models can help next-gen autonomous vehicles drive better The technology, dubbed PlatoNeRF, combines lidar with machine learning to accurately determine geometry of hidden objects. Interesting Engineering, 24 June 2024 Nvidia is also a leader in graphics processing hardware, cloud services and other technologies for high-performance computing, while expanding into other emerging sectors such as robotics and autonomous driving. Alain Sherter, CBS News, 18 June 2024 The dialogue highlighted the urgency for ethical frameworks as AI becomes more autonomous, influencing decisions from global economics to everyday life, and the need for stringent governance to manage its societal impact. Detroit Free Press, 11 June 2024 Successive Turkish incursions have created a Turkish zone of influence in northern Syria, but Ankara still has ambitions to subdue the autonomous Kurdish region across the border—a prospect that worries Washington. Asli Aydintasbas, Foreign Affairs, 6 June 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.

Word History

Etymology

Greek autónomos "self-governing, independent" (from auto- auto- + -nomos, adjective derivative of nómos "custom, convention, law") + -ous — more at nomothetic

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Time Traveler
The first known use of autonomous was in 1799

Dictionary Entries Near autonomous

Cite this Entry

“Autonomous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autonomous. Accessed 5 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

autonomous

adjective
au·​ton·​o·​mous ȯ-ˈtän-ə-məs How to pronounce autonomous (audio)
1
: having autonomy : self-governing
2
: existing independent of anything else
autonomously adverb

Medical Definition

autonomous

adjective
au·​ton·​o·​mous ȯ-ˈtän-ə-məs How to pronounce autonomous (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or marked by autonomy
2
a
: not forming a part (as does an embryo or seed) in the developmental sequence of an organism
b
: responding, reacting, or developing independently of the whole
a tumor is an autonomous growth
3
: under control of the autonomic nervous system
autonomously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on autonomous

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