noun · formal
autonomy
UK/ɔːˈtɒnəmi/US/ɔːˈtɑːnəmi/au·TON·o·my
the right or condition of self-government, or freedom from external control or influence
Examples
“Universities often fight for academic autonomy from government interference.”
“Granting local autonomy can improve public services by tailoring them to community needs.”
“Personal autonomy is central to debates about bioethics.”
Band 8 sentence
“Decentralisation that grants genuine local autonomy can increase accountability and improve service delivery.”
Collocations
- academic autonomy
- local autonomy
- personal autonomy
Word family
Common mistakes
many autonomies→many autonomous regions / a lot of autonomy
autonomy is important for student→autonomy is important for students
Say it for a higher band
5freedom→6independence→7+autonomy
Synonyms
independence
Easily confused
independence
“The country's independence was declared in 1945.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Society & Government
Learn it with its set