Subject to external laws or authority rather than self-governing; lacking autonomy or independence in decision-making. Describes a state of being controlled by outside forces rather than internal principles.
From Greek 'heteros' (different, other) + 'nomos' (law). Literally means 'subject to another's law,' contrasting with 'autonomous' (self-law). The term emphasizes dependence on external authority rather than self-governance.
Think 'HETERO' (other) + 'NOMOUS' (law) = following OTHER people's laws instead of your own! It's the opposite of autonomous (self-governing). Picture a puppet - it's heteronomous because someone else is pulling the strings and making the decisions.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.