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
a
: existing or capable of existing independently
an autonomous zooid
b
: responding, reacting, or developing independently of the whole
an autonomous growth
3
: controlled by the autonomic nervous system
4
: of, relating to, or marked by autonomy
autonomously
adverb
Synonyms
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 can reduce latency and enable real-time decision-making, which is crucial for applications like autonomous vehicles or smart manufacturing systems.
—
Jo Debecker, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
The company continues to focus on developing and manufacturing autonomous aerial vehicles, including drones, and highlights its dependence on sales of crypto miners for revenue.
—Quartz Bot, Quartz, 20 Nov. 2024
Soon after the event, Musk called for a federal approval process for autonomous vehicles.
—Tribune News Service, Twin Cities, 18 Nov. 2024
The company then grounded its autonomous vehicles nationwide.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for autonomous 
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Jo Debecker, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
The company continues to focus on developing and manufacturing autonomous aerial vehicles, including drones, and highlights its dependence on sales of crypto miners for revenue.
—Quartz Bot, Quartz, 20 Nov. 2024
Soon after the event, Musk called for a federal approval process for autonomous vehicles.
—Tribune News Service, Twin Cities, 18 Nov. 2024
The company then grounded its autonomous vehicles nationwide.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for autonomous
Dictionary Entries Near autonomous
Cite this Entry
“Autonomous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autonomous. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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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