autonomy

Meaning

1. The right or condition of self-government; freedom to act or function independently.
2. A self-governing country or region.
3. The capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision.
4. The capacity of a system to make a decision about its actions without the involvement of another system or operator.
5. The status of a church whose highest-ranking bishop is appointed by the patriarch of the mother church, but which is self-governing in all other respects. Compare autocephaly.

Concepts

autonomy

self-government

independence

sovereignty

liberty

self-direction

self-reliance

self-sufficiency

self-rule

right of self-government

self government

home rule

self-discipline

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɔːˈtɒn.ə.mi/

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek αὐτονομῐ́ᾱ (autonomíā, “freedom to use its own laws, independence”), from αὐτόνομος (autónomos, “living under one's own laws, independent”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-íā, “-y, -ia”, nominal suffix). By surface analysis, auto- (“self”) + -nomy (“a system of rules or laws about a particular field”).

Sentences

Some factions favour a separate state while others seek regional autonomy .