autonomous

adjective

au·​ton·​o·​mous ȯ-ˈtä-nə-məs How to pronounce autonomous (audio)
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
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.
While the concept of autonomous soaring has been studied before, applying it to long-distance drone flights could transform aviation. Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2025 Other milestones in the proposal Musk would need to meet in order to receive his reward include the deployment of autonomous taxis and humanoid robots, an inchoate industry Tesla is heavily investing in. Connor Greene, Time, 5 Sep. 2025 While Musk has made autonomous vehicles a big part of the future of Tesla and of the original Boring Company Loop in Las Vegas, the companies are still far away from delivering on the self-driving promise. Charles Singh, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Sep. 2025 The new queen was crowned by Miss Universe Nicaragua 2024, Geyssell García, after competing with 12 compatriots who represented the departments and autonomous regions of the country. Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Autonomous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autonomous. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

autonomous

adjective
au·​ton·​o·​mous ȯ-ˈtän-ə-məs How to pronounce autonomous (audio)
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 How to pronounce autonomous (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on autonomous

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