autonomous

[ aw-ton-uh-muhs ]

adjective

1. Government.
   1. self-governing; independent; subject to its own laws only.
   2. pertaining to an autonomy, or a self-governing community.
2. having autonomy; not subject to control from outside; independent:

   a subsidiary that functioned as an autonomous unit.

3. (of a machine, device, etc.) able to operate with little or no human control or intervention:

   an autonomous vehicle.

4. Biology.
   1. existing and functioning as an independent organism.
   2. growing naturally or spontaneously, without cultivation.

autonomous

/ ɔːˈtɒnəməs /

adjective

1. (of a community, country, etc) possessing a large degree of self-government
2. of or relating to an autonomous community
3. independent of others
4. philosophy
   1. acting or able to act in accordance with rules and principles of one's own choosing
   2. (in the moral philosophy of Kant, of an individual's will) directed to duty rather than to some other end Compare heteronomous See also categorical imperative
5. biology existing as an organism independent of other organisms or parts
6. a variant spelling of autonomic

Derived Forms

• auˈtonomously, adverb

Other Words From

• au·ton·o·mous·ly adverb
• non·au·ton·o·mous adjective
• non·au·ton·o·mous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of autonomous¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; from Greek autónomos “with laws of one's own, independent,” equivalent to auto- auto- ¹ + nóm(os) “law, custom” + -os adjective suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of autonomous¹

C19: from Greek autonomos living under one's own laws, from auto- + nomos law

Example Sentences

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating Tesla’s autonomous driving technology after receiving reports of four crashes, including one that killed a pedestrian.

From Los Angeles Times

“Our service has matured quickly and our riders are embracing the many benefits of fully autonomous driving.”

From Los Angeles Times

He said autonomous freeway driving is already being tested in Phoenix and San Francisco.

From Los Angeles Times

“Our vehicle appears to have been driving correctly in its lane when it was hit, and after the collision, our autonomous specialist manually drove the vehicle to the shoulder,” Bonelli said.

From Los Angeles Times

No, it’s Zoox’s funny-looking robotaxi, the latest fully autonomous vehicle to hit the streets of California.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• self-governing
• sovereign