autonomous

American  

[aw-ton-uh-muhs] / ɔˈtɒn ə məs /

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.

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autonomous British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• nonautonomousness
  noun
• nonautonomous
  adjective
• autonomously
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of autonomous

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

Explanation

Autonomous describes things that function separately or independently. Once you move out of your parents' house and get your own job, you will be an autonomous member of the family. This adjective autonomous is often used of countries, regions, or groups that have the right to govern themselves: Vatican City, where the Catholic pope lives, is an autonomous territory located within the city limits of Rome. The corresponding noun is autonomy, referring to the state of existing or functioning independently. Autonomous comes from the Greek roots autos, "self," and nomos, "law."

Example Sentences

The Munich-based company, which makes surveillance drones and other AI-powered autonomous systems, is among a crop of younger defence manufacturers attracting huge interest as European countries rearm.

From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026

The funds will also help further develop the company's software platforms that connect all of its autonomous systems.

From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026

His short on Elon Musk’s electric-vehicle maker, which is racing to bring autonomous driving to the masses, was noted with a price target of $416.22.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026

Just a few days earlier, U.S. regulators proposed nixing rules requiring manual brake pedals in autonomous vehicles.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 1, 2026

Each one was an entity in its own right, each possessed its own consciousness and a full set of limbs capable of autonomous movement.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• self-governing
• sovereign