Autonomy

noun (uncountable; countable when referring to a specific sphere)

/ɔːˈtɒnəmi/

The capacity and right of an individual or entity to self-govern, make independent decisions, and act according to self-chosen principles without undue external coercion. In Kantian ethics, autonomy of the will is the foundation of moral agency — an act is moral only when the agent freely chooses to follow the categorical imperative. In Indian constitutional law, autonomy is a dimension of Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty), affirmed in Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017) as part of the right to privacy.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

The Supreme Court's nine-judge bench in Puttaswamy (2017) unanimously held that decisional autonomy — the individual's right to make intimate choices — forms an inviolable core of the constitutional right to life, rendering mass surveillance programmes constitutionally suspect.

Synonyms

self-governanceindependenceself-determinationsovereigntyfreedomagency

Antonyms

heteronomydependencesubjugationcoercionsubordination

🌱 Word Family

autonomous (adjective), autonomously (adverb), autonomist (noun), heteronomy (antonym noun)

🔡 Root

Greek autos = self + nomos = law, rule

📜 Etymology

From Greek autonomia — 'having one's own laws'. The term was first used in ancient Greece to describe city-states that governed themselves independently. Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) elevated autonomy to a central concept in moral philosophy, distinguishing it from heteronomy (being governed by external forces). The word entered English via Latin and French in the 17th century.

🧠 Memory Hook

AUTO (self) + NOMY (law/rule): Autonomy means you are your own lawmaker. Picture an 'automatic' machine that needs no outside input — it runs by its own rules, just as an autonomous person is governed by self-chosen principles.

🧭 Ethics & Integrity 📖 Seen in: Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude — Complet...

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