autonomy

Definitions

• Self-government; freedom to act or function independently.
• (philosophy) The capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision.
• (mechanics) The capacity of a system to make a decision about its actions without the involvement of another system or operator.
• (Christianity) 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 (autocephaly).