autonomously
/ɔːˈtɒnəməsli/ (bre, ipa) · /ɔːˈtɑːnəməsli/ (ame, ipa)
autonomously — adverb
1. in a way that shows you can decide and act for yourself, without needing other p
in a way that shows you can decide and act for yourself, without needing other people to guide you
After six months of training, Deepa now works autonomously without a supervisor.
works autonomously — for describing independent work
The team was given the freedom to operate autonomously on the new project.
The children learned to complete their homework autonomously by the end of the school year.
- independently
more general term; 'autonomously' emphasises the right to make decisions, not just doing things alone
- on one's own
less formal, refers to doing something without help rather than having decision-making power
- under supervision
opposite context — being guided or watched while working
文法句型
verb + autonomously
act/work/operate + autonomously
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person or group that has developed enough skill or authority to act alone. Frequently used in professional or educational contexts.
常見錯誤
2. in a way that allows a place or organization to manage its own affairs without o
in a way that allows a place or organization to manage its own affairs without outside control
The region has governed itself autonomously since the peace agreement was signed in 1998.
governed itself autonomously — reflexive pattern for self-governance
Each university department operates autonomously when managing its own budget and staff.
The indigenous community runs its local schools autonomously under federal law.
- independently
broader term that overlaps here but lacks the political/organisational flavour
- sovereignly
stronger — implies full independence, not partial autonomy
- under external control
opposite context — being managed or ruled by an outside body
文法句型
verb + autonomously
govern/rule/run + autonomously
用法筆記
Subject is typically a country, region, or large organisation. Often paired with a reflexive pronoun (govern itself autonomously). Not used for personal independence.
3. in a way that a machine or system performs a task on its own, without a person c
in a way that a machine or system performs a task on its own, without a person controlling it at every step
The drone can fly autonomously for up to two hours without a remote pilot.
fly autonomously — common pattern for unmanned machines
Sofia's robot vacuum moves autonomously around the living room and avoids the dog's water bowl.
A self-driving car must react autonomously when a child steps into the street.
- automatically
can mean purely mechanically without decision-making; 'autonomously' implies the system makes choices
- without human input
descriptive phrase rather than a single word; emphasises absence of human control
- manually
opposite — operated step by step by a person
文法句型
verb + autonomously
fly/run/operate/react + autonomously
用法筆記
Subject is usually a machine, robot, vehicle, or software system. Often used in discussions of artificial intelligence, robotics, and transport.