autonomous
self-directed; independent
Roots
- -ous / -ious: full of or marked by a quality
- auto: self
- nomy: arrangement, law, system
Other words with the auto root
- autodidact: a self-taught person
- automatic: working by itself or without constant human control
- autonomy: self-governance
Other words with the nomy root
Auto gives self; nomy gives law, system, or ordering. Autonomous means self-governing, not merely alone.
The autonomous drone adjusted its route without waiting for a human command.
Autonomous becomes easier when you hear self-rule inside it. An autonomous person, region, machine, or system does not need every move dictated from outside.
The useful image is not loneliness. It is control from within: the thing has its own operating rules.