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
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Born with hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type II, Aoki has lived with a genetic condition that resulted in him losing sensation in his arms and legs. Mark Lasota, Ph.d., Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 This is due to autonomic mimicry, which is our tendency to mimic the facial expression of others, as described by review article in Trends in Cognitive Science. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 And about 36 percent of participants experienced what’s known as autonomic syndrome, which can impact multiple body systems and was defined by the study as urinary or fecal incontinence resulting from a loss of sphincter control. Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 25 Sep. 2024 Upon receiving the distress signal, the hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system by sending signals through autonomic nerves to the adrenal glands. Finnian Kelly, TIME, 8 July 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near autonomic

Cite this Entry

“Autonomic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autonomic. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on autonomic

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