autonomy

Meaning

1. (uncountable) The right or condition of self-government; freedom to act or function independently.
2. (countable) A self-governing country or region.
3. (uncountable) The capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision.
4. (uncountable) The capacity of a system to make a decision about its actions without the involvement of another system or operator.
5. (uncountable) 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.

Opposite of

dependency, heteronomy, servitude, nonautonomy, inoperability, incapacity

Synonyms

self-government

independence

sovereignty

self-direction

liberty

self-reliance

self-sufficiency

self-rule

self-discipline

self government

home rule

right of self-government

Translations

autonomie

Autonomie

autonomía

autonomia

autonomia

autonomie

αυτονομία

Selbständigkeit

autonomia

Unabhängigkeit

zelfbestuur

özerklik

onafhankelijkheid

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɔːˈtɒn.ə.mi/

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek αὐτονομῐ́ᾱ (autonomĭ́ā, “freedom to use its own laws, independence”), from αὐτόνομος (autónomos, “living under one's own laws, independent”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, “-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 .