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 autonomy
2 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