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
Trump has expressed an interest in making Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, part of the United States.
—
Fox News, 27 Jan. 2025
President Donald Trump has reiterated his desire to buy Greenland, and refused to rule out using military or economic coercion to achieve his goal of controlling the autonomous territory of Denmark. .
—Juhohn Lee, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2025
In 2022, the company launched its first autonomous tractor which is currently in operation across a range of customers.
—Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Currently, only Mercedes-Benz ships a Level 3 autonomous system that works in some states in the US, which allows drivers to look away from the road.
—Umar Shakir, The Verge, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for autonomous 
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Fox News, 27 Jan. 2025
President Donald Trump has reiterated his desire to buy Greenland, and refused to rule out using military or economic coercion to achieve his goal of controlling the autonomous territory of Denmark. .
—Juhohn Lee, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2025
In 2022, the company launched its first autonomous tractor which is currently in operation across a range of customers.
—Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Currently, only Mercedes-Benz ships a Level 3 autonomous system that works in some states in the US, which allows drivers to look away from the road.
—Umar Shakir, The Verge, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for autonomous
Dictionary Entries Near autonomous
Cite this Entry
“Autonomous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autonomous. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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
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