autonomic

adjective

au·​to·​nom·​ic ˌȯ-tə-ˈnä-mik How to pronounce autonomic (audio)
1
: acting or occurring involuntarily
autonomic reflexes
2
: relating to, affecting, or controlled by the autonomic nervous system or its effects or activity
autonomic drugs
autonomically adverb

Examples of autonomic in a Sentence

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.
Your central autonomic network activates, increasing heart rate and breathing. Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 2 July 2025 The insula plays a key role in sensory, motor and autonomic function and is involved in emotional processing, self-awareness and understanding social context. Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025 In the last stage, autonomic failure sets in—heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing become unregulated. Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 5 May 2025 The results showed that their autonomic signals became idiosyncratically synchronized, and this synchronization correlated with the alignment of their emotional states. Mark Travers, Forbes, 1 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for autonomic

Word History

Etymology

autonomy + -ic entry 1

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of autonomic was in 1898

Cite this Entry

“Autonomic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autonomic. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

autonomic

adjective
au·​to·​nom·​ic ˌȯt-ə-ˈnäm-ik How to pronounce autonomic (audio)
: of, relating to, controlled by, or being part of the autonomic nervous system

Medical Definition

autonomic

adjective
au·​to·​nom·​ic ˌȯt-ə-ˈnäm-ik How to pronounce autonomic (audio)
1
a
: acting or occurring involuntarily
autonomic reflexes
b
: relating to, affecting, or controlled by the autonomic nervous system
autonomic ganglia
autonomic dysfunction
2
: having an effect upon tissue supplied by the autonomic nervous system
autonomic drugs
autonomically adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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