Autonomy
n.capable, resilientprofessional
What it means
The freedom and practical ability to make informed independent choices.
Reach for it when praising control over decisions while acknowledging responsibility
Flexible scheduling gave the nurses more autonomy over routine staffing decisions.
Choose between these
7- everyday
control
practical command over an outcome matters
not when Control can be coercive and need not include legitimate freedom.
- everyday
freedom from reliance is the main value
not when Independence can mean separation, while autonomy can operate within a larger group.
- warm
absence of restriction deserves broad emphasis
not when Freedom covers many liberties unrelated to decision authority.
- professional
the power to choose and act is the focus
not when Agency can exist under substantial external rules and is not full self-government.
- professional
someone may choose how to act within defined limits
not when Discretion is delegated and narrower than genuine autonomy.
- formal
self-determination
people should shape their own political or personal future
not when Self-determination is weightier and often concerns collective rights.
- formal
sovereignty
a state or people holds ultimate governing authority
not when Sovereignty is a legal and political claim beyond ordinary workplace autonomy.
Said against
3- dependence
- subjection
- constraint
It naturally appears in
4- personal autonomy
The care plan protects personal autonomy at every stage.
- greater autonomy
Remote access gave regional staff greater autonomy.
- professional autonomy
Professional autonomy carries a duty to explain difficult judgments.
- degree of autonomy
Each local office has the same degree of autonomy over its budget.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English noun sense: self-government or freedom of action opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.