In the mathematical subject geometric group theory, a fully irreducible automorphism of the free group Fn is an element of Out(Fn) which has no periodic conjugacy classes of proper free factors in Fn (where n > 1). Fully irreducible automorphisms are also referred to as "irreducible with irreducible powers" or "iwip" automorphisms. The notion of being fully irreducible provides a key Out(Fn) counterpart of the notion of a pseudo-Anosov element of the mapping class group of a finite type surface. Fully irreducibles play an important role in the study of structural properties of individual elements and of subgroups of Out(Fn).