Dictionary

autonomous en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ɑˈtɑnəməs/ (Atlantic-Canada, General-American, cot-caught-merger)
• /oːˈtɔn.ə.məs/ (Australia)
• /ɒˈtɒnəməs/ (Boston, Canada, Maine)
• [oːˈtɔ̟n.ə.məs] (New-Zealand)
• /ɔːˈtɒnəməs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ɔˈtɑnəməs/ (General-American)
• (California) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew Proto-Indo-European *tó- Proto-Hellenic *autós Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewder. Ancient Greek αὖ (aû) Ancient Greek τόν (tón) Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós) Ancient Greek αὐτο- (auto-) Proto-Indo-European *nem-der. Proto-Indo-European *németi Proto-Hellenic *némō Ancient Greek νέμω (némō) Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Hellenic *-os Ancient Greek -ος (-os) Ancient Greek νόμος (nómos) ▲ Proto-Hellenic *-os Ancient Greek -ος (-os) Ancient Greek αὐτόνομος (autónomos) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek αὐτονομῐ́ᾱ (autonomĭ́ā)bor. English autonomy Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.? Proto-Italic *-ŏ̄dsos? Old Latin -ōssus Latin -ōsus Old French -usbor. Middle English -ous English -ous English autonomous From autonomy + -ous.

Meanings

1. Governing itself independently.
   • an autonomous territory
2. Of or relating to a territory that governs itself independently.
   • "Thank you, Louis," interrupted Carrados. "It is very nice to learn that. But I am really going to Kingsmouth because there's a man there—a curate—who has the second best private collection in Europe of autonomous coins of Thessaly." 1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC:
3. Sentient; self-aware.
4. Acting on one's own or independently; of a child, acting without being governed by parental or guardian rules.
   • Though Cade has for years reported on the development of autonomous vehicles, test drives usually have so-called safety drivers who ride along and can take over in case something goes wrong. 2022 October 4, Soumya Karlamangla, “Behind the Story: Navigating San Francisco in a Driverless Car”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 21 Oct 2022:
5. (of a verb form, qualifier:Celtic linguistics) Used with no subject, indicating an unknown or unspecified agent; used in similar situations as the passive in English (the difference being that the theme in the English passive construction is the subject, while in the Celtic autonomous construction the theme is the object and there is no subject).

Forms

Antonyms

heteronomous

Deriveds

autonomous republic · autonomous oblast · autonowashing · autonomous prefecture · semi-autonomous · autonomous vehicle · autonomous community · semiautonomous · nonautonomous · autonomous okrug · autonomous sensory meridian response · autonomous region · autonomously · superautonomous · autonomousness

Relateds

autonomy · autonomic · autonomous area

Synonyms

sovereign · self-standing · self-directed · self-governing

Translations (135)

id otonom (acting on one's own) · sah автономияла́ах (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ms berautonomi (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · gl autónomo (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · fa خودرای (acting on one's own) · yi אויטאָנאָמיש (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · uz muxtor (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · be аўтано́мны (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · bg самостоя́телен (acting on one's own) · pt autônomo (acting on one's own) · hu autonómia (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · kjh автоном (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · he אוֹטוֹנוֹמִי (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · fa خودسر (acting on one's own) · ga neamhspleách (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · cmn 自治 (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · cs autonomní (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · vi tự trị (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ga saor (a verb form grammar of Celtic language) · be самасто́йны (acting on one's own) · mn ᠥᠪᠡᠷᠲᠡᠭᠡᠨ ᠵᠠᠰᠠᠬᠤ (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · mk автономен (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · nl zelfstandig (acting on one's own) · kk автономиялы (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · fi autonominen (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · nb sjølstendig (acting on one's own) · fi itsehallinnollinen (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · hy ինքնավար (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · kk автономиялық (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ko 자주적 (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · pt autônomo (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ms berautonomi (acting on one's own) · hi स्वायत्त (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · tt автоном (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · eo aŭtonoma (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · fa-cls مُخْتَار (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ga féinrialaitheach (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · crh muhtar (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ja 自主的な (acting on one's own) · ky автономиялык (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · yi אויטאָנאָם (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · da selvstændig (acting on one's own) · tg мухтор (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · bg автоно́мен (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · el αυτόνομος (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · fi itsenäinen (acting on one's own) · gl autónomo (acting on one's own) · az мухтар (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · nn sjølvstyrt (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · es autónomo (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · bua өөртөө заһаха (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · az muxtar (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · nb autonom (acting on one's own) · da autonom (acting on one's own) · ca autònom (acting on one's own) · sl samostojen (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · uz автономияли (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · uz avtonomiyali (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · sl samostojen (acting on one's own) · id otonom (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ast autónomu (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · de autonom (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ja 自主的な (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · uz avtonom (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · sh са̏моста̄лан (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ko 자치 (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · pl autonomiczny (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · da selvstyret (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · sv självständig (acting on one's own) · ext autónoma (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · sq autonom (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ar اِسْتِقْلَالِيّ (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · sk autonómny (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · it autonomo (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · sh са̏моста̄лан (acting on one's own) · fr autonome (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · uz автоном (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ga neamhspleách (acting on one's own) · uk автоно́мний (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ka ავტონომიური (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · mn өөртөө засах (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ro autonom (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · bua автономито (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · sah автоно́мнай (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · xwo ᡄᡋᡄᠷᡄᡃᠨ ᠴᠠᠰᠠᡍᡇ (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · da autonom (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · nn autonom (acting on one's own) · za swci (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · pl autonomiczny (acting on one's own) · ru самостоя́тельный (acting on one's own) · sv självstyrande (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ja 主体的な (acting on one's own) · sh а̀утоно̄ман (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ja 自治 (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · uk самості́йний (acting on one's own) · sh àutonōman (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ca autònom (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · sh не̏овисан (acting on one's own) · tyv автономнуг (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · nn autonom (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · sh sȁmostālan (acting on one's own) · ru автоно́мный (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ky автономиялуу (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · mn автономит (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · sk samosprávny (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ga féinriartha (acting on one's own) · nl autonoom (acting on one's own) · sjo ᠪᡝᠶᡝ ᡩᠠᠰᠠᡢᡤᠠ (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · fa-ira مُخْتار (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · cs samosprávný (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · sv autonom (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · evn автоно̄мнай (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · io autonoma (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · sh sȁmostālan (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · tr otonom (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · sh nȅovisan (acting on one's own) · hi आत्मनिर्भर (acting on one's own) · nl autonoom (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · pt autónomo (acting on one's own) · nn sjølvstendig (acting on one's own) · it indipendente (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · alt автоном (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · nb sjølstyrt (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · pl samodzielny (acting on one's own) · nb selvstendig (acting on one's own) · uz мухтор (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · es autónomo (acting on one's own) · tg автономӣ (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · ja 自立した (acting on one's own) · xal автономн (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · nb autonom (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · hi स्वावलंबी (acting on one's own) · sl avtonomen (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · nb selvstyrt (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic) · pt autónomo (self-governing — see also independent, autonomic)