autonomous
/ɔːˈtɒnəməs
/adjective
1(Of a country or region) having the freedom to govern itself or control its own affairs: the federation included sixteen autonomous republics...
- They have established an alternative system of government with autonomous regions, and district and village level authorities.
- The process was designed, in Stalin's words, to produce republics and autonomous regions that were national in form, but socialist in content.
- It resembles more a treaty between separate autonomous nation states than a real binding constitution for a single European state.
1.1Having the freedom to act independently: school governors are legally autonomous...
- These things are now being used as AUVs, autonomous underwater vehicles.
- The legislators must be made independent and autonomous.
- It is an autonomous independent body and received its official recognition early in its existence, in 1958.
Synonyms
self-governing, independent, sovereign, free, self-ruling, self-determining, autarchic;
self-sufficient
1.2(In Kantian moral philosophy) acting in accordance with one’s moral duty rather than one’s desires. Compare with heteronomous.If there is any scope for the will, Vernant notes, it is certainly not autonomous will in the Kantian sense, but a will bound by fear of divine powers, if not actually coerced by them....
- Being free but not autonomous is a condition Kant called heteronomous.
- If conforming documents are presented, the bank owes an autonomous duty to the beneficiary to make payment to it at the place designated for payment.
Origin
Early 19th century: from Greek autonomos 'having its own laws' + -ous.