noun

die Autonomie, -n

autonomy

Autonomie is a feminine German noun meaning autonomy, self-determination, or independence.

It describes:

The ability of a person or group to govern themselves and make decisions independently, without external control.
- Example: A region may demand political autonomy.
Personal independence and self-determination, especially the ability to decide how to live and act according to one’s own wishes and values.
In specialized contexts, such as medicine or technology, it can refer to the ability to function independently. For example, a device may have a certain operating autonomy.

The word comes from Ancient Greek autonomía, meaning “self-legislation” or “governing oneself”:

The related adjective is autonom , meaning “autonomous” or “self-governing.”

Selbstbestimmung — self-determination; emphasizes the ability to make one’s own decisions.
Unabhängigkeit — independence; focuses more broadly on freedom from dependence or outside influence.
Eigenständigkeit — autonomy or self-reliance; often describes a person, organization, or process functioning independently.
Selbstständigkeit — independence or self-sufficiency; can also refer to working as a self-employed person, so it is not always an exact synonym.

Autonomie often has a more formal, political, philosophical, or institutional sense than these related words.

Abhängigkeit — dependence on another person, institution, or circumstance.
Fremdbestimmung — determination by others; the opposite of making one’s own decisions.
Unselbstständigkeit — lack of independence or self-reliance.
Heteronomie — being governed by external rules or forces rather than by one’s own decisions.

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Die Autonomie der Region wurde politisch stark diskutiert.noun

The autonomy of the region was strongly debated politically.

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