autonomy

noun

ȯ-ˈtä-nə-mē How to pronounce autonomy (audio)
Definition of autonomynext
1
as in choice
the act or power of making one's own choices or decisions the director agreed to make the film only on the condition that she be given complete autonomy for the casting

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2
as in independence
the state of being free from the control or power of another finding the mother country's treatment of them oppressive and intolerable, the 13 British colonies made the momentous decision to seek autonomy

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of autonomy As Congress passed landmark civil-rights legislation in the nineteen-sixties, the contest in the Supreme Court over natural law moved to concepts of autonomy and privacy. — Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 2 July 2026 The Ethics Conversation Starts Too Late Most BCI ethics conversations are centered on privacy, consent, autonomy and regulation. — Tetiana Aleksandrova, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Along with a loss of autonomy, more traffic, and insufficient office space, many are pointing to gas prices and childcare costs as significant pain points. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026 The future of autonomy is not defined by a single aircraft or system, but by how connected technologies work together to support the warfighter. — Paid Content By Lockheed Martin, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for autonomy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for autonomy
  1. choice
  2. independence
  3. sovereignty
  4. freedom
  5. independency
Noun
  • Langeliers singled to right center in the third inning and made out as part of a fielder’s choice later in the inning.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
  • Although justices were directly elected, state law at the time allowed governors to unilaterally appoint a candidate of their choice to the Supreme Court when a vacancy occurred in the middle of a judicial term.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026
Definition of choice
Noun
  • During the Tuesday hearing, Warsh was also repeatedly asked about Fed independence and his ability to silo the unique federal agency from influence from the White House.
    — Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 14 July 2026
  • To put it bluntly, originalism itself might not have survived the disaster of abolishing Fed independence.
    — Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
Definition of independence
Noun
  • By using Beyon’s local data center infrastructure, its customers will be able to access Oracle’s cloud services without any data leaving the country and maintaining data sovereignty.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 14 July 2026
  • The State Department has launched a campaign to dismantle the International Criminal Court over what Secretary of State Marco Rubio called a threat to American sovereignty.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 14 July 2026
Definition of sovereignty
Noun
  • The teachers who know their students best are too often given the least freedom to respond to what those students actually need.
    — Tiffany Thenor, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • The must-read (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times) Times staff writer Deborah Vankin recently learned via a bow and arrow the importance and freedom that can come with literally letting go.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of freedom
Noun
  • Yet the careful reader will appreciate the significance of the Puritan Cromwell’s independency.
    — Barton Swaim, WSJ, 27 Dec. 2021
  • His seemingly daily attacks on freedom of speech, the independency of the judiciary, the right to vote and other pillars of our constitutional system are bolstered by an intensely loyal fan base.
    — Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2020
Definition of independency

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Cite this Entry

“Autonomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/autonomy. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of autonomy for Spanish Speakers

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