automatic

1 of 2

adjective

au·​to·​mat·​ic ˌȯ-tə-ˈma-tik How to pronounce automatic (audio)
1
a
: largely or wholly involuntary
especially : reflex sense 5
automatic blinking of the eyelids
b
: acting or done spontaneously or unconsciously
the automatic applause of the audience
c
: done or produced as if by machine : mechanical
the answers were automatic
2
: having a self-acting or self-regulating mechanism
an automatic transmission
3
of a firearm : firing repeatedly until the trigger is released
automatically adverb
automaticity noun

automatic

2 of 2

noun

1
: a machine or apparatus that operates automatically
especially : an automatic firearm
2
a
: an automatic transmission
a car with a three-speed automatic
b
: an automobile with an automatic transmission
Is your car an automatic or a manual?
3
American football : audible
Choose the Right Synonym for automatic

spontaneous, impulsive, instinctive, automatic, mechanical mean acting or activated without deliberation.

spontaneous implies lack of prompting and connotes naturalness.

a spontaneous burst of applause

impulsive implies acting under stress of emotion or spirit of the moment.

impulsive acts of violence

instinctive stresses action involving neither judgment nor will.

blinking is an instinctive reaction

automatic implies action engaging neither the mind nor the emotions and connotes a predictable response.

his denial was automatic

mechanical stresses the lifeless, often perfunctory character of the response.

a mechanical teaching method

Examples of automatic in a Sentence

Adjective Without thinking, he gave an automatic reply. She always has an automatic smile for everyone. Noun Will your next car be a manual or an automatic?
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
On a recent morning inside DeShaun Foster’s sprawling third-floor office, automatic shades are lowered to block out the harsh sunlight — not to mention an arresting view of the practice field below. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 The single-lens camera works for up to three hours with a rechargeable lithium battery, and an automatic shutoff helps preserve battery life. Alesandra Dubin, Parents, 20 Mar. 2024 That extends to the flash, which is fully automatic but not always on like other models. Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 19 Mar. 2024 Instead of contributing matching funds to employee 401(k)s, IBM would make automatic contributions to Retirement Benefit Accounts. Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024 The Islanders won the Southland Conference tournament for an NCAA automatic bid. Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024 Argentina and Brazil became popular destinations among Russian expectant mothers two years ago, due to automatic citizenship rules for newborns. Lucinda Elliott and Miguel Lo Bianco, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2024 Harkey said the driving systems initially were combinations of safety features such as automatic emergency braking, lane departure warnings, lane centering and blind-spot detection. Tom Krisher, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 Dallas will be aiming to secure an automatic playoff berth in the hotly contested Western Conference however, with only five games separating the No. 5 and 10 seeds. Sam Joseph, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
However, the delay doesn’t change the outcome: The CFP will shift the access format from six automatic qualifiers and six at-large bids to five automatics and seven at-larges. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2024 There were, at most, two automatics on the pad at any time for as many as twenty people, so real practice behind the wheel was quite limited, as few of us knew how to operate the pad’s two manual trucks. Emily Gogolak, Harper's Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024 Still, the manual shifter—a relatively rare item on the SUV market these days—keeps it ahead of Jeeps and Fords equipped with pushrod sixes and automatics: The Jeep runs to 60 mph in 10.3 seconds, the Explorer in 10.7. Phil Berg, Car and Driver, 5 Sep. 2023 View Photos The Odyssey and the Sienna are also new for the 2011 model year, but both offer carry-over engines lashed to new six-speed automatics (available only in Touring trim on the Honda). Mike Austin, Car and Driver, 15 Apr. 2023 Jean Ratelle, Ray Bourque, and Patrice Bergeron are my three automatics for the Bruins’ all-Quebecois version of Mont Rushmore. Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 29 July 2023 But the 2023 Nissan Z automatic's base price—$42,085—is worth dwelling on for a moment, because that's $12,610 less than the minimum buy-in for the Z's most obvious competitor, the Toyota GR Supra 3.0. Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 3 June 2023 Two young folk singers strumming guitars become soldiers in combat garb, yielding semi automatics. John Hopewell, Variety, 21 Mar. 2023 Stick shifts used to have a fuel efficiency advantage over automatics. Joel Mathis, The Week, 6 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'automatic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from New Latin automaticus, from Latin automatum "contrivance with a hidden mechanism that appears to operate on its own" (borrowed from Greek autómaton) + -icus -ic entry 1 — more at automaton

Noun

derivative of automatic entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1870, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of automatic was in 1686

Dictionary Entries Near automatic

Cite this Entry

“Automatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/automatic. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

automatic

1 of 2 adjective
au·​to·​mat·​ic ˌȯt-ə-ˈmat-ik How to pronounce automatic (audio)
1
a
: largely or wholly involuntary
especially : reflex sense 2
b
: acting or done without conscious thought or intention
an automatic smile
2
: having devices or mechanisms that permit operation without help from a person
automatic washer
3
: firing repeatedly until the trigger is released
an automatic rifle
automatically adverb

automatic

2 of 2 noun
: an automatic machine or device
especially : an automatic firearm

Legal Definition

automatic

adjective
au·​to·​mat·​ic
: happening or existing through the operation of a preexisting arrangement that is triggered by some event
specifically : happening or existing through the operation of law
automatic reversal
an automatic appeal
automatically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on automatic

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