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
of a mechanism, device, or computerized system
: able to carry out tasks and adapt to new information without direct human guidance or intervention
autonomous vehicles
an autonomous weapons system
Leo is a fully autonomous, self-propelling baggage robot …—
Trade Arabia
Trade Arabia
also
: relating to or involving such an ability
cars capable of partially autonomous driving
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
5
: of, relating to, or marked by independence, freedom, and self-direction : of, relating to, or marked by autonomy
autonomously
adverb
Synonyms of autonomous
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
This approach allowed engineers to test the interaction between hardware, software, and autonomous decision-making without deploying live systems in the field, according to a press release.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Mar. 2026
Assuming that funding can be found, the UK and Europe’s defence industries will have not only to ramp up production, but also to cope with the transformation of the modern battlefield already seen in Ukraine – by drone technology, robotics, cyberwarfare and, increasingly, autonomous weapons.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 15 Mar. 2026
Other automakers are in the process of rolling out their semi-autonomous systems.
—Morgan Korn, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
Euthanasia patients in the Netherlands make the choice to die—but when a teenager is suffering from psychiatric illness, can that choice really be considered an expression of autonomous will?
—Charles Lane, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for autonomous
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Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Mar. 2026
Assuming that funding can be found, the UK and Europe’s defence industries will have not only to ramp up production, but also to cope with the transformation of the modern battlefield already seen in Ukraine – by drone technology, robotics, cyberwarfare and, increasingly, autonomous weapons.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 15 Mar. 2026
Other automakers are in the process of rolling out their semi-autonomous systems.
—Morgan Korn, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
Euthanasia patients in the Netherlands make the choice to die—but when a teenager is suffering from psychiatric illness, can that choice really be considered an expression of autonomous will?
—Charles Lane, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for autonomous
Cite this Entry
“Autonomous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autonomous. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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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