Definition of AUTONOMOUS (original) (raw)
1
a
: having the right or power of self-government
b
: undertaken or carried on without outside control : self-contained
an autonomous school system
2
a
: existing or capable of existing independently
b
: responding, reacting, or developing independently of the whole
4
: of, relating to, or marked by autonomy
Synonyms
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In 1992, the first free elections in Iraq’s history were held in the Kurdish autonomous zone. —
Sefa Secen & Serhun Al / Made By History, TIME, 7 Feb. 2025 The car-sized FLEX — which will be able to carry two astronauts or operate in autonomous mode — will touch down on the moon for the first time aboard a SpaceX Starship lander as soon as late 2026. —Mike Wall, Space.com, 6 Feb. 2025 What To Know Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, has been a focal point of international interest due to its natural resources and strategic location. —Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025 Turkey has long sought to expand its regional influence, use Syrian fighters to do its bidding, and prevent the establishment of an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria. —Nafees Hamid, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for autonomous 
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
1673, in the meaning defined at sense 4
Time Traveler
The first known use of autonomous was in 1673
Dictionary Entries Near autonomous
Cite this Entry
“Autonomous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autonomous. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 11 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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