adj.
Pronunciation: o ̇ - ' tä-n ə -m ə s
Function: adjective
Etymology: Greek autonomos independent, from aut- + nomos law ― more at NIMBLE
Date: 1800
1 : of, relating to, or marked by autonomy
2 a : having the right or power of self-government b : undertaken or carried on without outside control : SELF-CONTAINED <an autonomous school system>
3 a : existing or capable of existing independently <an autonomous zooid> b : responding, reacting, or developing independently of the whole <an autonomous growth>
4 : controlled by the autonomic nervous system
synonyms see FREE
– au · ton · o · mous · ly adverb