Meanings
adjectiveheteronomous (comparative more heteronomous, superlative most heteronomous)
comparative more heteronomous · superlative most heteronomous
- Arising from an external influence, force, or agency; not autonomous.
The competitive necessity of economies of action mean that surveillance capitalists must use all means available to supplant autonomous action with heteronomous action.
2018, Shoshana Zuboff, chapter 10, in The Age of Surveillance Capitalism - biologyDiffering in development or in specialization.
- human sciencesBeing a dialect of an autonomous language.
Synonyms & antonyms
Opposite
Origin
- Englishheteronomy
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
- Englishheteronomous
From heteronomy + -ous.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
heteronomous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heteronomous
MLA
“heteronomous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heteronomous. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “heteronomous,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heteronomous.
Source: heteronomous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.