ENGLISH
REFERENCE

autonomy

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced Oxford US //əˈtɑnəmi// UK //ɔːtˈɒnəmi// au·ton·o·my

n. the ability to make your own decisions and control your own life or work without others telling you what to do.

n. the capacity of an agent to act in accordance with objective morality rather than under the influence of external forces; the right or condition of self-government.


SIMPLE

The new manager gives the team a lot of autonomy.

CONTEXTUAL

After years of colonial rule, the region finally gained political autonomy and began drafting its own constitution.

COMPLEX

Granting employees greater autonomy over their schedules often leads to higher job satisfaction and a more robust sense of personal investment in the company's long-term success.

Synonyms
Origin

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”).

Usage

Often paired with the verbs 'grant', 'gain', or 'exercise'.

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