Standard Lemma guide

autonomic

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌɔː.təˈnɒm.ɪk/
  • General-American: /ˌɔt.əˈnɑm.ɪk/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɒmɪk
  • CMU ARPABET: AO2 T AH0 N AA1 M IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Acting or occurring involuntarily, without conscious control.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: medicine, neurology, neuroscience, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Pertaining to the autonomic nervous system.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: anatomy, medicine, neuroanatomy, neurology, neuroscience, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

relating to or controlled by the autonomic nervous system

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • autonomic reflexes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h2ewder.? Proto-Indo-European *sóder.? Proto-Indo-European *h2ewder. Ancient Greek αὖ (aû) Ancient Greek τόν (tón)? Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós) Ancient Greek αὐτο- (auto-) Proto-Indo-European *nem-der. Proto-Indo-European *németi Proto-Hellenic *némō Ancient Greek νέμω (némō) Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Hellenic *-os Ancient Greek -ος (-os) Ancient Greek νόμος (nómos) ▲ Proto-Hellenic *-os Ancient Greek -ος (-os) Ancient Greek αὐτόνομος (autónomos) Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh2 Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek αὐτονομῐ́ᾱ (autonomĭ́ā)bor. English autonomy Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English autonomic From autonomy + -ic.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: autonòmic — acting or occurring involuntarily, without conscious control
  • French: autonome — acting or occurring involuntarily, without conscious control
  • Polish: autonomiczny — acting or occurring involuntarily, without conscious control
  • Hungarian: autonóm — pertaining to the autonomic nervous system
  • Polish: autonomiczny — pertaining to the autonomic nervous system