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

of a mechanism, device, or computerized system : able to carry out tasks and adapt to new information without direct human guidance or intervention

autonomous vehicles

an autonomous weapons system

Leo is a fully autonomous, self-propelling baggage robot …

—Trade Arabia

also : relating to or involving such an ability

cars capable of partially autonomous driving

3

a

: existing or capable of existing independently

an autonomous zooid

b

: responding, reacting, or developing independently of the whole

an autonomous growth

4

: controlled by the autonomic nervous system

5

: of, relating to, or marked by independence, freedom, and self-direction : of, relating to, or marked by autonomy

autonomously adverb

Synonyms of autonomous

• independent
• sovereign

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

This year's exercise involves more than 5,000 personnel from over 40 nations, with a growing focus on advanced technologies, including drones, autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence. —Duarte Dias, CBS News, 3 May 2026

In multi-step agentic pipelines, even small drops in accuracy can cause cascading errors, making sovereign AI architecture and central monitoring essential for oversight of autonomous decisions. —Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 2 May 2026

This Kurdish region in northeastern Syria, which ran its own autonomous territory for 12 years after breaking away from the Syrian regime in 2012, is now in play again. —Jane Arraf, NPR, 2 May 2026

Although California is home to several autonomous vehicle operators, the most expansive at this point is Waymo — which has driverless robotaxis navigating passengers around the San Francisco Bay Area and dozens of cities in Los Angeles County. —Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026

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 5

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