au ‧ ton ‧ o ‧ my /ɔːˈtɒnəmi $ ɒːˈtɑː-/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
1 . freedom that a place or an organization has to govern or control itself SYN independence :
campaigners who want greater autonomy for Corsica
2 . the ability or opportunity to make your own decisions without being controlled by anyone else SYN independence :
Teachers are given considerable individual autonomy.