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autonomy

Pronunciation: /ɔːˈtɒnəmi/

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Definition of autonomy

noun (plural autonomies)

[mass noun]
  • the right or condition of self-government:between the First and Second World Wars, Canada gained greater autonomy from Britain
  • [count noun] a self-governing country or region: the national autonomies of the Russian Republic
  • freedom from external control or influence; independence: the courts enjoy a considerable degree of autonomy economic autonomy is still a long way off for many women
  • (in Kantian moral philosophy) the capacity of an agent to act in accordance with objective morality rather than under the influence of desires.

Derivatives

autonomist

noun & adjective

Origin:

early 17th century: from Greek autonomia, from autonomos 'having its own laws', from autos 'self' + nomos 'law'

autonomy in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of autonomy in the US English dictionary

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