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Glite Dictionary
regional autonomy

regional autonomy

1 6.7
The right of local governments to make some decisions without the national government, like education and health
  • noun
  • /ˈriːdʒənəl ɔːˈtɒnəmi/
translation icon : autonomía regional
  • Scotland has enjoyed significant regional autonomy since it was granted a devolved parliament in 1999.
  • regional autonomy for the south

Examples

  • Voters would have three choices: full independence, federal association with Ethiopia, or regional autonomy.

    Academic text (1990)

  • The 17-year civil war (1955 to 1972) had just ended with the Addis Ababa Agreement that granted the South regional autonomy.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Spain has moved towards federalism and regional autonomy.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Scotland has had considerable regional autonomy since 1999, thirteen years ago, and this has generally worked quite smoothly.

    Blog text (29)

  • The objective of federalism is to promote regional autonomy.

    Academic text (1993)

  • In recent years, the central government has strongly favored more regional autonomy and economic equality, so numerous smaller cities are growing.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Compounding the problem of governing is Russia's shift to a more federal system with greater regional autonomy.

    Academic text (1996)

  • The administration has emphasized decentralization and devolution of authority to states and communities, which would strengthen local and regional autonomy.

    Academic text (2001)

  • In July 1993, ANC spokespersons, recognizing increased regional autonomy as an inducement for amicable behavior, indicated that they were prepared to negotiate on increased regional powers.

    Academic text (1995)

  • More importantly, Spain's system of asymmetrical federalism devolved power from the central government by granting some of the highest levels of regional autonomy to the historical territories, including the Basque region.

    Academic text (2006)

Synonyms

autonomy
vsregional autonomy
  • Formal
53 6.7

The right of a region or group to run its own government

is limited to governing only a specific region within a larger state
self-determination
vsregional autonomy
  • Formal
34 4.3

The right of a group or nation to choose their government

applies to a region's formal right to run its own affairs within a state
self-government
vsregional autonomy
12 4.3

A group or region that makes and follows its own rules without outside control

emphasizes rights for a specific region to make certain decisions independently
self-rule
vsregional autonomy
8 5.8

Government by a country's own people instead of by a foreign power

focuses on governance for one region inside a state rather than whole nation

Antonyms

dependence
60 3.6

Needing another person or thing for help and control

centralism
1 7.5

A system that puts most political power in one government

How Autonomous

independence
608 3.0
regional autonomy
1 6.7
home rule
  • Formal
4 6.2

Surface Forms

regional autonomy singular
regional autonomies plural

Morphology

regional + autonomy

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'regional' (pertaining to a particular area) with 'autonomy' (self-rule or independence); together they straightforwardly convey 'self-governance for a region'. This is a literal, compositional political term that follows common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand it.

Etymology

Regional autonomy comes from the idea that a region, a local area, has autonomy, the power to make its own rules and choices. So, it means 'self-rule' or the right to make local decisions without the national government.