heteronomous

[het-uh-ron-uh-muhs]

adjective

1. subject to or involving different laws.

2. pertaining to or characterized by heteronomy.

3. Biology.,  subject to different laws of growth or specialization.

heteronomous

/ ˌhɛtəˈrɒnɪməs /

adjective

1. subject to an external law, rule, or authority Compare autonomous

2. (of the parts of an organism) differing in the manner of growth, development, or specialization

3. (in Kant's philosophy) directed to an end other than duty for its own sake Compare autonomous

Other Word Forms

• heteronomously adverb
• heteronomy noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of heteronomous¹

First recorded in 1815–25; heteronom(y) + -ous

Example Sentences

“The people of King County are of a heterogeneous, heterologous, heteronomous and heteromorphistic nature,” alliterated Rep. A.W.

From Seattle Times

Plus take it from me, King County is only going to get more heteronomous and all the rest that that guy chided us for back in ’37.

From Seattle Times

Heteronomous, het-er-on′o-mus, adj. differentiated from a common type: subject to the rule of another.—n.

From Project Gutenberg

Only thus is the will truly autonomous, and from every other point of view it is heteronomous.

From Project Gutenberg

Whether we call it nature or name it God, this law transcends the becoming of the plant, its heteronomous becoming as we called it, and is properly the becoming of something else.

From Project Gutenberg