autonomy

== English == === Etymology === Borrowed from Ancient Greek αὐτονομῐ́ᾱ (autonomĭ́ā, “freedom to use its own laws, independence”), from αὐτόνομος (autónomos, “living under one's own laws, independent”) +‎ -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, “-y, -ia”, nominal suffix). By surface analysis, auto- (“self”) +‎ -nomy (“a system of rules or laws about a particular field”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɔːˈtɒn.ə.mi/ (General American) IPA(key): /ɔˈtɑ.nə.mi/ (cot–caught merger) IPA(key): /ɑˈtɑ.nə.mi/ (Indic) IPA(key): /əˈʈɔnəmi/, /ɔʈo.nɔmi/ Rhymes: -ɒnəmi === Noun === autonomy (countable and uncountable, plural autonomies) (uncountable) The right or condition of self-government; freedom to act or function independently. Antonyms: dependency, heteronomy, servitude, nonautonomy, inoperability Coordinate term: sovereignty (government, countable) A self-governing country or region. (philosophy, uncountable) The capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision. (mechanics, uncountable) The capacity of a system to make a decision about its actions without the involvement of another system or operator. Antonyms: heteronomy, incapacity (Christianity, uncountable) The status of a church whose highest-ranking bishop is appointed by the patriarch of the mother church, but which is self-governing in all other respects. Compare autocephaly. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === “autonomy”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022. “autonomy”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.