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autonomous

adjective
au·​ton·​o·​mous | \ ȯ-ˈtä-nÉ™-mÉ™s How to pronounce autonomous (audio) \

Definition of autonomous

1a : 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
2a : 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
Other Words from autonomous Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about autonomous

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Other Words from autonomous

autonomously adverb

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

 Eric programmed a Parrot Mambo drone to fly autonomous patterns that mirror math functions in 3D space to see it in a vertical orientation instead of how it’s typically sketched on 2D graph paper. — Carol Kovach, cleveland.com, "Pearl of the Orient bows out of Rocky River restaurant scene: West Shore Chatter," 3 Sep. 2019 The Navy’s autonomous ship work was inspired partly by a challenge on Mars. — The Atlantic, "Coming Soon to a Battlefield: Robots That Can Kill," 3 Sep. 2019 Platooning – having a human drive one truck, with an autonomous truck following close behind – is another option. — CBS News, ""We're heading towards hell": Expert shares concerns with self-driving cars," 31 Aug. 2019 Antonio Yao Shun was installed on Monday as bishop of Jining in the northern Chinese autonomous region of Inner Mongolia. — Ian Johnson, New York Times, "In Landmark Ceremony, a Catholic Bishop Is Installed in China," 28 Aug. 2019 Former Waymo and Uber self-driving car engineer Anthony Levandowski—regarded by many as a father of the fledgling autonomous vehicle industry—was indicted Tuesday on 33 federal charges of theft and attempted theft of trade secrets. — Aarian Marshall, WIRED, "Ex-Uber Engineer Levandowski Charged With Trade-Secret Theft," 27 Aug. 2019 Levandowski is a standout among an elite cadre of engineers with expertise in autonomous driving, which is widely considered the future of the auto industry. — Evan Sernoffsky, SFChronicle.com, "Engineer charged with stealing Google’s self-driving car secrets," 27 Aug. 2019 Following his departure from Uber, Levandowski co-founded another autonomous driving startup, Pronto. — Kate Cox, Ars Technica, "Former Google engineer Levandowski indicted for stealing trade secrets," 27 Aug. 2019 Hundreds of thousands of protesters have been demonstrating for an autonomous Hong Kong over the past two months, including a peaceful march Sunday. — Anchorage Daily News, "Twitter, Facebook say China used fake accounts to sow discord in Hong Kong," 20 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'autonomous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of autonomous

1799, in the meaning defined at sense 4

History and Etymology for autonomous

Greek autonomos independent, from aut- + nomos law — more at nimble

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More Definitions for autonomous

autonomous

adjective
How to pronounce autonomous (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of autonomous

: existing or acting separately from other things or people
: having the power or right to govern itself

See the full definition for autonomous in the English Language Learners Dictionary

autonomous

adjective
au·​ton·​o·​mous | \ ȯ-ˈtän-É™-mÉ™s How to pronounce autonomous (audio) \

Medical Definition of autonomous

1 : of, relating to, or marked by autonomy
2a : 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

Other Words from autonomous

autonomously adverb

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More from Merriam-Webster on autonomous

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with autonomous

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for autonomous

Spanish Central: Translation of autonomous

Nglish: Translation of autonomous for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of autonomous for Arabic Speakers

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