Meaning & use
autonomous
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Able to govern or act independently, without being controlled by others.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: an autonomous region; the region is autonomous.
Patterns
- an autonomous region
- an autonomous vehicle
- be autonomous from something
The island became an autonomous region within the country.
The company gave each department an autonomous budget.
After the war, the province was granted autonomous status.
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
Operating or functioning on its own, especially of machines or software.
Grammar: Describes a machine or system that works without a human controlling it.
Patterns
- an autonomous vehicle
- an autonomous robot
- operate autonomously
Autonomous vehicles are being tested in several cities.
The warehouse uses autonomous robots to move goods.
The drone can fly autonomously for up to an hour.
adjectivenot comparable
Acting or deciding for yourself, without being influenced by others.
Grammar: Often describes a person or their choices: an autonomous decision.
Patterns
- an autonomous decision
- an autonomous individual
- be autonomous in something
Teenagers need to make some autonomous choices.
She is an autonomous learner who studies without being told.
The team was given autonomous control over the project.
Common combinations
- autonomous region
- Catalonia is an autonomous region of Spain.
- autonomous vehicle
- The company hopes to launch an autonomous vehicle next year.
- autonomous decision
- Managers should allow staff to make autonomous decisions.
- autonomous learning
- The course encourages autonomous learning.
- autonomous from
- The university is autonomous from the government.
Synonyms and how they differ
- independent
- Broader and more common; it can mean not controlled by others, but also not connected or not needing help, whereas autonomous stresses self-rule.
- self-governing
- Used mainly for regions or organizations that govern themselves; it is narrower than autonomous.
- sovereign
- Used for a state with full independent power; stronger and more political than autonomous.
Opposites
Word family
- autonomy noun
- The state of being independent or self-governing.
- autonomously adverb
- In a way that is independent or self-controlled.
Commonly confused: autonomous or automatic? autonomous or anonymous?
autonomous vs automatic
Automatic means working by itself without human control, often of machines; autonomous emphasizes independent decision-making, not just mechanical operation.
autonomous vs anonymous
Anonymous means having an unknown name; it sounds similar but has a completely different meaning.
Practice
The region has its own parliament and can make many laws without asking the central government. It is best described as ______.
Choose one answer.
Autonomous means self-governing, which fits a region with its own parliament. Automatic refers to machines working by themselves, and dependent is the opposite of autonomous.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “autonomous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.