autonomous

adjective

au·​ton·​o·​mous ȯ-ˈtä-nə-məs 

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

Synonyms

• free
• freestanding
• independent
• self-governed
• self-governing
• self-ruling
• separate
• sovereign
• sovran

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

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

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

Phrases Containing autonomous

• autonomous sensory meridian response

Kids Definition

autonomous

adjective

au·​ton·​o·​mous ȯ-ˈtän-ə-məs 

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 

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