Borrowed from Ancient Greek αὐτονομῐ́ᾱ (autonomíā, “freedom to use its own laws, independence”), from αὐτόνομος (autónomos, “living under one’s own laws, independent”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-íā, “-y, -ia”, nominal suffix). Surface analysis auto- (“self”) + -nomy (“a system of rules or laws about a particular field”).
- The right or condition of self-government; freedom to act or function independently
- A self-governing country or region.
- The capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision.
- The capacity of a system to make a decision about its actions without the involvement of another system or operator.
- 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.