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
Synonyms
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
Sharing the roads Many bicycle safety advocates support the mission of autonomous vehicles, optimistic the technology will cut injuries and deaths.
—
Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 7 July 2024
That question, accompanied by a photograph of a Waymo autonomous vehicle that had been pulled over in central Phoenix on June 19, was posted on the social media website Reddit last month.
—Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 2 July 2024
Moreover, public health depends on the behaviors and choices of the public, which is diverse and autonomous; aviation safety, in contrast, relies only on professionals such as pilots and air traffic controllers.
—Caitlin Rivers, Foreign Affairs, 2 July 2024
There are 12 fully autonomous 1,000-year-old Byzantine monasteries currently operational on the peninsula.
—Sucheta Rawal, Travel + Leisure, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for autonomous 
Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 7 July 2024
That question, accompanied by a photograph of a Waymo autonomous vehicle that had been pulled over in central Phoenix on June 19, was posted on the social media website Reddit last month.
—Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 2 July 2024
Moreover, public health depends on the behaviors and choices of the public, which is diverse and autonomous; aviation safety, in contrast, relies only on professionals such as pilots and air traffic controllers.
—Caitlin Rivers, Foreign Affairs, 2 July 2024
There are 12 fully autonomous 1,000-year-old Byzantine monasteries currently operational on the peninsula.
—Sucheta Rawal, Travel + Leisure, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for autonomous
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'autonomous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near autonomous
Cite this Entry
“Autonomous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autonomous. Accessed 19 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share