BharatNotes Autonomy
noun (uncountable; countable when referring to a specific sphere)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
Antonyms
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.
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Mains 2022 · GS2 · 15 marks — Indian Polity
- Mains 2020 · GS2 · 10 marks — Governance
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Autonomy” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
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