Etymology
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autonomous (adj.)

1777, "subject to its own laws" (in translations of Montesquieu); 1780, "pertaining to autonomy;"  from Greek autonomos "having one's own laws," of animals, "feeding or ranging at will," from autos "self" (see auto-) + nomos "law" (from PIE root *nem- "assign, allot; take"). Compare privilege. Used mostly in metaphysics and politics; see autonomic. Related: Autonomously.

Entries linking to autonomous

auto- 
word-forming element meaning "self, one's own, by oneself, of oneself" (and especially, from 1895, "automobile"), from Greek autos, reflexive pronoun, "self, same," which is of unknown origin. It also was a common word-forming element in ancient Greek, as in modern English, but very few of the old words have survived the interval. In Greek, as a word-forming element, auto- had the sense of "self, one's own, of oneself ('independently'); of itself ('natural, native, not made'); just exactly; together with." Before a vowel, it became aut-; before an aspirate, auth-. In Greek it also was used as a prefix to proper names, as in automelinna "Melinna herself." The opposite prefix would be allo-.
*nem- 
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "assign, allot; take."

It forms all or part of: agronomy; anomie; anomy; antinomian; antinomy; astronomer; astronomy; autonomous; autonomy; benumb; Deuteronomy; economy; enumerate; enumeration; gastronomy; heteronomy; innumerable; metronome; namaste; nemesis; nimble; nim; nomad; nomothetic; numb; numeracy; numeral; numerator; numerical; numerology; numerous; numismatic; supernumerary; taxonomy.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek nemein "to deal out," nemesis "just indignation;" Latin numerus "number;" Lithuanian nuoma "rent, interest;" Middle Irish nos "custom, usage;" German nehmen "to take."

updated on September 13, 2018

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Definitions of autonomous from WordNet

autonomous (adj.)
(of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces;
an autonomous judiciary
Synonyms: independent / self-governing / sovereign
autonomous (adj.)
existing as an independent entity;
the partitioning of India created two separate and autonomous jute economies
autonomous (adj.)
(of persons) free from external control and constraint in e.g. action and judgment;
Synonyms: self-directed / self-reliant
From wordnet.princeton.edu, not affiliated with etymonline.

Dictionary entries near autonomous

automatize

automaton

automobile

automotive

autonomic

autonomous

autonomy

autopathy

autophobia

autopilot

autopsy

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