semiautonomous

adjective

semi·​au·​ton·​o·​mous ˌse-mē-ȯ-ˈtä-nə-məs How to pronounce semiautonomous (audio)
ˌse-ˌmī-,
-mi-
: largely self-governing within a larger political or organizational entity

Examples of semiautonomous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Last year, the Teamsters supported legislation in California to require backup human drivers for semiautonomous trucking services. David Ingram, NBC News, 2 Feb. 2024 In the years since, Xi has led China down an all-the-more ruthless, authoritarian path, tightening his grip on power while quashing the political freedoms of semiautonomous Hong Kong. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2024 Third Wave provides semiautonomous forklifts that work independently but which are overseen by human controllers who step in when the machines call for help. Paul Berger, WSJ, 21 Dec. 2023 In 2019, the Modi government stunned the world by announcing a constitutional change that revoked Kashmir’s semiautonomous status and transferred it to New Delhi’s direct rule. Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023 Many members of these groups have distanced themselves from the Palestinian Authority, the semiautonomous institution that administers parts of the West Bank and cooperates with the Israeli security forces to curb violence in the territory. Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2023 For decades, India administered its portion as a semiautonomous region while its army fought a separatist insurgency that was supported by many Muslims there and often backed by Pakistan. Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023 The Joint Arctic Command, which is part of Denmark’s defense forces, announced in a social media post on Thursday that the ship, named the Ocean Explorer, was finally pulled free at high tide in Greenland, which is a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. Morgan Winsor, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2023 Exploring Greenland by cruise ship and helicopter Greenland, the world’s largest island, is a semiautonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. Dan Fellner, The Arizona Republic, 31 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'semiautonomous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of semiautonomous was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near semiautonomous

Cite this Entry

“Semiautonomous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semiautonomous. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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