Autonomy

The state of independence. The autonomos was he who lived according to his own laws, — who was free. The term was chiefly used of communities or states, and meant those which were independent of others. It was introduced into the English language by the divines of the seventeenth century, when it and its translation— self-government — were chiefly used it is now employed almost exclusively. Of late the word "autonomy" has been revived in diplomatic language in Europe, meaning "independence," the negation of a state of political influence from without or foreign powers. See Lieber, Civ. Lib.