autonomic
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the autonomic nervous system.
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Physiology. under the control of the autonomic nervous system.
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Cell Biology. produced by internal forces or causes; spontaneous.
adjective
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occurring involuntarily or spontaneously
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of or relating to the autonomic nervous system
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Also: autonomous. (of plant movements) occurring as a result of internal stimuli
Other Word Forms
- autonomically adverb
Etymology
Origin of autonomic
First recorded in 1825–35; autonom(y) + -ic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It's part of the autonomic nervous system, which controls things we don't think about, like breathing, heart rate and digestion.
From BBC
When you see green trees, smell pine and hear gentle rustling leaves or the sound of birdsong, your autonomic nervous system - a network of nerves controlling unconscious processes - responds instantly.
From BBC
The heart has long been thought to be controlled solely by the autonomic nervous system, which transmits signals from the brain.
From Science Daily
"However, these results provide early evidence that the autonomic nervous system may be a therapeutic target for disease modification of HD."
From Science Daily
Music can activate our autonomic nervous system and even cause shivers down the spine.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
