- the right or state of self-government, esp when limited
- a state, community, or individual possessing autonomy
- freedom to determine one's own actions, behaviour, etc
- the doctrine that the individual human will is or ought to be governed only by its own principles and laws
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
au•ton•o•my /ɔˈtɑnəmi/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]freedom of action:The corporation gives their agents a fair amount of autonomy. See -nom-1.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- (of a state or government) self-government;
independence.
au•ton•o•my
(ô ton′ə mē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -mies.
au•ton′o•mist, n.
- independence or freedom, as of the will or one's actions:the autonomy of the individual.
- Governmentthe condition of being autonomous;
self-government, or the right of self-government;
independence:The rebels demanded autonomy from Spain. - Governmenta self-governing community.
- Greek autonomía independence, equivalent. to autónom(os) autonomous + -ia -y3
- 1615–25
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
autonomy /ɔːˈtɒnəmɪ/ n ( pl -mies)
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'autonomy' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Basque Country
- Bougainville
- Buthelezi
- commune
- country
- freedom
- Gaza Strip
- Greenland
- home rule
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Macao
- mana motuhake
- Palestine Liberation Organization
- regionalism
- territory
- Vanuatu
- autonomism
- autonomous
- dysautonomia
- free
- plebiscite
- semiautonomy
