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

What remains deeply felt in his video is that China looms in the rearview—with the country possessing a vast manufacturing machine that dominates the electric car market and is now aimed at mastering autonomous vehicles—and that the U.S. cannot lift its foot off the accelerator. —Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 2 May 2025

Last week, federal regulators eased rules for testing autonomous vehicles, boosting Tesla's stock. —Abhirup Roy and Bipasha Dey, USA Today, 1 May 2025

In recent years, the concept of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) has expanded from the realm of crypto startups into industries like real estate, media, and increasingly, healthcare. —Chrissa McFarlane, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

Waymo, a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet, had an autonomous trucking arm but dismantled it in 2023 to focus on its self-driving ride-hailing services. —Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 1 May 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