autonomy
Pronunciation:
/ɑˈtɑnəmi//ɔːˈtɒnəmi//ɔˈtɑnəmi/noun
Definitions
Self-government; freedom to act or function independently.
The capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision.
The capacity of a system to make a decision about its actions without the involvement of another system or operator.
The status of a church whose highest-ranking bishop is appointed by the patriarch of the mother church, but which is self-governing in all other respects. Compare autocephaly.