autonomy
Americannoun
plural
autonomies-
independence or freedom, as of the will or one's actions.
the autonomy of the individual.
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the condition of being autonomous; self-government or the right of self-government.
The rebels demanded autonomy from Spain.
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a self-governing community.
noun
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the right or state of self-government, esp when limited
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a state, community, or individual possessing autonomy
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freedom to determine one's own actions, behaviour, etc
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philosophy
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the doctrine that the individual human will is or ought to be governed only by its own principles and laws See also categorical imperative
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the state in which one's actions are autonomous
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of autonomy
First recorded in 1615–25; from Greek autonomía “independence,” equivalent to autónom(os) autonomous + -ia -y 3
Explanation
When a group wants to govern itself or a person wants to make independent decisions, they are looking for autonomy. Autonomy comes from the Greek roots auto meaning "self" and nomos meaning "custom" or "law." This reflects the political sense of the word — a group's right to self-government or self-rule. When a person seeks autonomy, he or she would like to be able to make decisions independently from an authority figure. Can you relate?
Vocabulary lists containing autonomy
To Thine Own Self Be True: Auto
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Human Geography - Middle School
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This Week in Words: September 22 - 28, 2018
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"There is a huge interest," military expert Yury Fedorenko told the audience at the recent Drone Autonomy conference, held in an undisclosed location in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
University of Cambridge graduate Lynch co-founded Autonomy in 1996 out of a specialist software research group called Cambridge Neurodynamics.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Last December, Rivian also revealed plans to improve its suite of driver-assistance features and develop an in-house artificial-intelligence chip it calls the Rivian Autonomy Processor.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026
Redwire acquired Edge Autonomy for $925 million in June, positioning itself for increased drone demand.
From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026
Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.
From The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
