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
a
: 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
autonomously
adverb
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
Trump's ambitions aren't far-fetched, according to an international relations expert who told ABC News that there are some avenues in which the U.S. could realistically acquire the autonomous Danish territory.
—
Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2025
Among the company’s strengths is the potential to actually benefit from the rise of autonomous vehicles, Cramer said, instead of losing out, as some investors have feared.
—Julie Coleman, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2025
Preparing for an Autonomous Future Langley-Hawthorne is also focused on longer-term trends like the growing consumerization of technology and the rise of autonomous vehicles.
—Peter High, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
For the moment, Europe's launcher program is back on track to provide autonomous access to space, a capability European officials consider a strategic imperative.
—Ars Technica, 23 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Autonomous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autonomous. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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
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