autonomous

adjective

au·​ton·​o·​mous ȯ-ˈtä-nə-məs 

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

Synonyms

• free
• freestanding
• independent
• self-governed
• self-governing
• self-ruling
• separate
• sovereign
• sovran

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

Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, and so are the Faroe Islands. —Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 21 Apr. 2025

As experts have warned, autonomous AI agents tasked with optimizing in competitive environments may behave unpredictably—gaming systems, exploiting loopholes, and pursuing goals that deviate from human intent. —Nizan Geslevich Packin, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025

Waymo's autonomous cars apparently now have a side gig as neighborhood watch. —Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025

Carroll, a Marine Corps intelligence officer, deployed to Afghanistan four times before working at Anduril Industries, a defense contractor specializing in autonomous systems, according to his LinkedIn. —Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 16 Apr. 2025

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

Phrases Containing autonomous

• autonomous sensory meridian response

Rhymes for autonomous

• anonymous
• economise
• eponymous
• synonymous

Kids Definition

autonomous

adjective

au·​ton·​o·​mous ȯ-ˈtän-ə-məs 

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 

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