autónomas

Autônomas is the feminine plural form of autônomo, an adjective and noun used in Portuguese to denote self-governing or independent status. As an adjective, autônomas modifies feminine nouns or pronouns, for example comunidades autônomas or mulheres autônomas, meaning autonomous communities or autonomous women. The term is widely used in political, administrative, and social contexts to describe entities with a degree of self-rule or personal independence.

Etymology: The word derives from the prefix auto- (self) and nomos (rule, law), tracing back to Greek autonomia. It entered Portuguese via Latin and Romance languages.

In political geography, autônomas is used in the plural to describe subdivisions with autonomy. The best-known example is in Spain, where the term Comunidades Autónomas denotes the 17 semi-sovereign territories with their own governments and competencies. Other uses describe non-geographic autonomy, such as autoridades autônomas or organizações autônomas in administrative contexts.

In social and economic life, the feminine plural appears in phrases like mulheres autônomas or trabalhadoras autônomas, referring to women who work independently as freelancers or self-employed professionals. In technology and industry, the corresponding masculine form is more common for describing autonomous devices or systems (sistemas autônomos, veículos autônomos), with autônomas appearing only when the noun it modifies is feminine.

See also: autonomia, autônomo, autônomos, autonomia pessoal.