autonomy

Meanings

1. The freedom to make your own decisions.
2. The right of a region or group to govern itself.

Example sentences

• "Employees want more autonomy in their work."

  Level C1, Meaning 1

• "The region has a high degree of autonomy."

  Level C1, Meaning 2

• "Teenagers need some autonomy to grow up."

  Level C1, Meaning 1

• "The university protects its autonomy from the state."

  Level C2, Meaning 2

Synonyms and antonyms

Look-alikes and common mistakes

• independence : Independence means being free from outside control, often as a country. Autonomy means governing yourself, even inside a larger group.

Word family and forms

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "autonomy".

• personal autonomy
• give autonomy
• greater autonomy
• regional autonomy
• financial autonomy
• gain autonomy

Origin

Autonomy comes from the Greek word autonomia, built from autos, meaning self, and nomos, meaning law. Someone with autonomy follows their own laws.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Dictionary.com.

Usage notes

"Autonomy" applies to countries and institutions, but also to individuals. A teenager gaining autonomy, for example, means gaining independence in daily decisions.

How to remember it

Auto means self (as in automatic) and nomy means rule or law: autonomy is self-rule.

Test yourself

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