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
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
But California regulators are making clear that Tesla is not authorized to carry passengers on public roads in autonomous vehicles and would require a human driver in control at all times.
—
Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 26 July 2025
At this point, those working in the autonomous vehicle (AV) space think the problem isn’t technology, but rather people, and regulators in particular.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 July 2025
Lewitt, who graduated with an electrical engineering degree, was working up to 50 hours a week at a job that involved helping autonomous vehicles detect traffic lights on the road.
—Terry Ward, CNN Money, 25 July 2025
The automaker has made progress in robotics, autonomous vehicles, EV charging infrastructure, and more.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for autonomous
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 26 July 2025
At this point, those working in the autonomous vehicle (AV) space think the problem isn’t technology, but rather people, and regulators in particular.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 July 2025
Lewitt, who graduated with an electrical engineering degree, was working up to 50 hours a week at a job that involved helping autonomous vehicles detect traffic lights on the road.
—Terry Ward, CNN Money, 25 July 2025
The automaker has made progress in robotics, autonomous vehicles, EV charging infrastructure, and more.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for autonomous
Cite this Entry
“Autonomous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autonomous. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share