Definitions: (1) undertaken or carried on without outside control; self-contained; self-guided; self-taught; (2) independent; self-governing; self-ruling; (3) acting in accordance with one’s moral duty rather than one’s desires; a self-starter
Derivation: Greek, “having its own laws”
Quotes:
• Listen to the desires of your children. Encourage them and then give them the autonomy to make their own decision. — Denis E. Waitley (1933-) American motivational speaker
• Without free, self-respecting, and autonomous citizens there can be no free and independent nations. Without internal peace, that is, peace among citizens and between the citizens and the state, there can be no guarantee of external peace. — Vaclav Havel (1936-2011) Last President of Czechoslovakia & First President of the Czech Republic