| English Dictionary |
AUTONOMOUS
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| IPA (US): |  |
Dictionary entry overview: What does autonomous mean?
• AUTONOMOUS (adjective)
The adjective AUTONOMOUS has 3 senses:
1. (of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces
2. existing as an independent entity
3. (of persons) free from external control and constraint in e.g. action and judgment
Familiarity information: AUTONOMOUS used as an adjective is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
(of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces
Synonyms:
autonomous; independent; self-governing; sovereign
Context example:
a sovereign state
Similar:
free (not limited or hampered; not under compulsion or restraint)
Derivation:
autonomy (immunity from arbitrary exercise of authority: political independence)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Existing as an independent entity
Context example:
the partitioning of India created two separate and autonomous jute economies
Similar:
independent (free from external control and constraint)
Derivation:
autonomy (immunity from arbitrary exercise of authority: political independence)
Sense 3
Meaning:
(of persons) free from external control and constraint in e.g. action and judgment
Synonyms:
autonomous; self-directed; self-reliant
Similar:
independent (free from external control and constraint)
Derivation:
autonomy (personal independence)
Context examples
The process of exchange of genetic material between autonomous replicons, which depends on regions of extensive sequence homology between the participating DNA strands.
(Homologous Recombination, NCI Thesaurus)
Any process affecting a DNA sequence that results in the gain, loss or exchange of DNA between chromosomes and/or autonomous replicons.
(DNA Sequence Rearrangement, NCI Thesaurus)
Includes autonomous but not virus replication.
(DNA replication, NCI Thesaurus)
Kringles are autonomous structural domains, found throughout the blood clotting and fibrinolytic proteins.
(Kringle Domain, NCI Thesaurus)
A general term for autonomous tissue growth in which the malignancy status has not been established and for which the transformed cell type has not been specifically identified.
(Neoplasm, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)
A small cellular inclusion consisting of a ring of DNA that is not in a chromosome but is capable of autonomous replication.
(Plasmid, NCI Thesaurus)
Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings.
(Nursing, NCI Thesaurus)
A group of islands in the Caribbean, formerly an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and now a constituent of the Kingdom.
(Netherlands Antilles, NCI Thesaurus)
Long-haul trucks on interstate highways often drive at relatively constant speeds with little or no intersections which makes autonomous driving easier to achieve.
(Tesla to Test Self-driving Electric Trucks, VOA News)
Like the mitochondrion, it is semi-autonomous.
(Chloroplast, NCI Thesaurus)
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