autonomous

/ɔːˈtɒnəməs/ (bre, ipa) · /ɔːˈtɑːnəməs/ (ame, ipa) · /ȯ-ˈtä-nə-məs/ (ame, mw)

autonomous — adjective

1. describing a person who can think, choose, and act on their own — for example, a

1.形容詞C1
釋義

describing a person who can think, choose, and act on their own — for example, a teenager who plans her own study schedule or a worker who makes daily decisions without asking the boss.

例句

By age sixteen, Mei had become an autonomous learner who set her own study goals.

autonomous + noun (autonomous learner)

Dr. Patel wants every nurse on the cancer ward to feel autonomous when choosing pain treatments for stable patients.

feel autonomous (predicative use)

同義詞
  • independent

    more everyday and broader; 'autonomous' sounds more formal and stresses self-governance

  • self-directed

    narrower — emphasises choosing one's own path of action or learning

  • self-reliant

    highlights not needing help; 'autonomous' adds the idea of having the right to choose

反義詞
  • dependent

    needing the help or support of others

  • subservient

    obeying others without question, opposite of self-governing

文法句型

autonomous + noun (person)

be autonomous

用法筆記

Frequently modifies a person noun (learner, worker, individual) or appears predicatively after 'feel' or 'become'. Distinguish from sense 2 (political bodies) and sense 3 (machines): only this sense applies to individual humans and their personal choices.

常見錯誤

❌My grandmother is very autonomous because she lives near us.
✅My grandmother is very autonomous; she still cooks, shops, and pays her own bills.
💡autonomous needs evidence of self-direction, not just physical proximity.
❌I want to be autonomous from my job.
✅I want to be independent of my job.
💡'autonomous' is rarely paired with 'from'; use 'independent of' for separation.

2. used about a country, region, or organization that is allowed to make its own la

2.形容詞C1
釋義

used about a country, region, or organization that is allowed to make its own laws, rules, and political decisions instead of being controlled by another government or higher body.

例句

Catalonia is an autonomous region within Spain with its own parliament and language laws.

autonomous region (typical political collocation)

After years of protest, Greenland became an autonomous territory of Denmark in 1979.

become an autonomous territory of + parent country

同義詞
  • self-governing

    very close meaning; preferred when stressing the ability to make laws

  • independent

    stronger — usually means a fully separate country, not a region within one

  • sovereign

    used for full nation-states with supreme authority; 'autonomous' is a weaker form

反義詞
  • dependent

    ruled or controlled by another power

  • colonial

    governed from outside by a foreign country

文法句型

autonomous + region/state/body

用法筆記

Subject is usually a place or organization (region, province, university, agency), not a person. Often paired with 'region', 'territory', 'state', 'province', 'body', or 'status'. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense never refers to an individual's personal independence.

常見錯誤

❌Taiwan is a fully autonomous country from China.
✅Taiwan governs itself independently of China.
💡'autonomous' usually means a part within a larger state; for a separate country, prefer 'independent' or 'sovereign'.
❌The school is autonomous to choose its books.
✅The school is autonomous and chooses its own books.
💡don't follow 'autonomous' with a to-infinitive of purpose.

3. used about a machine, vehicle, or computer system that can run, drive, or do tas

3.形容詞C1
釋義

used about a machine, vehicle, or computer system that can run, drive, or do tasks on its own using sensors and software, with little or no help from a human.

例句

Tesla is testing autonomous taxis that pick up passengers in San Francisco at night.

autonomous + vehicle/taxi

Farmers in Hokkaido now use autonomous tractors that plough fields while they sleep.

autonomous + machine (tractor)

同義詞
  • self-driving

    everyday word for cars only; 'autonomous' covers any machine or system

  • driverless

    specific to vehicles without a human driver

  • automated

    broader and weaker — runs by program but may not adapt; 'autonomous' suggests adapting to new situations

反義詞

文法句型

autonomous + vehicle/system/machine

用法筆記

Subject is a machine, vehicle, robot, or software system. Often paired with intensifiers ('fully autonomous', 'semi-autonomous') and with technology nouns (vehicle, car, drone, weapon, system). Distinguish from sense 1 (human) and sense 2 (political): nothing here is about personal or political freedom.

常見錯誤

❌My phone is autonomous because it has many apps.
✅My phone runs many apps on its own without asking.
💡'autonomous' needs the machine to make its own decisions, not just to have features.
❌The car drives autonomous on the highway.
✅The car drives autonomously on the highway.
💡use the adverb 'autonomously' to modify the verb 'drives'.