Main Entry:

au·ton·o·mous

Pronunciation:

\ȯ-ˈtä-nə-məs\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Greek autonomos independent, from aut- + nomos law — more at nimble

Date:

1800

1: of, relating to, or marked by autonomy2 a: having the right or power of self-government b: undertaken or carried on without outside control : self-contained <an autonomous school system>3 a: existing or capable of existing independently <an autonomous zooid> b: responding, reacting, or developing independently of the whole <an autonomous growth>4: controlled by the autonomic nervous system

synonyms see free

— au·ton·o·mous·ly adverb