autonomy
aw-TON-uh-mee
/ɔːˈtɒn.ə.mi/
The right or condition of self-government, independence, and freedom from external control in managing internal affairs.
Can apply to individual political self-determination or administrative regional independence short of full legal statehood.
The story behind the word. Formed from Greek 'autos' (self) and 'nomos' (law), autonomy literally translates to 'making one's own laws'. Ancient Greek city-states used the term to celebrate their independence from Persian or imperial domination.
Word relationships
- self-governance: 'Self-governance' is a plain English term specifically describing political management without external rulers.
- independence: 'Independence' implies complete severance of political ties, whereas 'autonomy' often exists within a federal state.
- dependence: 'Dependence' relies entirely on external authorities for decisions and resources.
- subjection: 'Subjection' means being brought under complete control of an external power.
Commonly confused with
- sovereignty: 'Autonomy' is self-rule over internal affairs (often within a state); 'sovereignty' is supreme, ultimate legal authority over a territory.
Word family
- autonomous (adjective): Having the freedom to govern oneself or control one's own affairs.
- autonomously (adverb): In an autonomous manner; independently.
Collocations
- regional autonomy
- local autonomy
- grant autonomy
- bodily autonomy
Example sentences
- "The constitutional amendment granted regional autonomy to indigenous territories over local education and judicial matters." Constitutional Law
- "Respecting patient autonomy is a foundational principle in modern medical ethics." Bioethics & Law
Memory hook
AUTO (self) + NOMY (law) = Making your own laws. Self-law: ruling yourself without foreign rules.
When not to use
Do not confuse with complete international state sovereignty unless political agreements explicitly grant sovereign self-rule.
Fun facts
- In modern robotics and computing, 'autonomous' describes vehicles or drones that operate without human intervention.
Related words
Explore more words
autonomous, self-governing, sovereignty, volition, independent, sovereign
Also appears in
- Leadership → Delegation & Empowerment
- Technology → Ethics in Science & Tech
- Law → Legal Rights & Liberties
- Arts & Literature → Censorship & Artistic Freedom
- Philosophy → Free Will & Determinism
- Philosophy → Justice & Political Philosophy
- Demographics & Urban Studies → Indigenous Populations
- Economic Theory & Analysis → Gig Economy & Freelancing
- Education & Pedagogy → Homeschooling & Alternative Ed
- Health Sciences → Medical Ethics & Bioethics
- Media, Journalism & Publishing → Freelance Journalism & Blogging
- Military Science & Warfare → Aerospace Defense & Drones
- Philosophy → Feminist Philosophy
- Political Science & Governance → Regionalism & Decentralization
- Political Science & Governance → Secession & Separatism
- Political Science & Governance → Federalism vs Unitary States
- Psychology → Motivation & Drive
- Psychology → Occupational Psychology
- Occasions, Holidays & Parties → National Independence Days
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.