What does "automatic" mean?
A car with an automatic transmission; the transmission itself.
Automatic
/ˌɔː.təˈmæt.ɪk/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A car with an automatic transmission; the transmission itself.
- Grammar: automatic is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: accordant, accustomed, afc, ai-driven module.
- Useful contrasts: meticulous, agential action, by-hand.
- Usage evidence: Most workers get an automatic pay raise every year.
How to use "automatic"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "automatic" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "automatic" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "automatic" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "automatic" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "automatic" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accordant" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "automatic", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A car with an automatic transmission; the transmission itself.
"I never learned to drive a stick. I can only drive an automatic."
- 2 a pistol that will keep firing until the ammunition is gone or the trigger is released wordnet
- 3 A semi-automatic pistol.
"The G-men raiding the speakeasy were equipped with .45 automatics, while the local policemen were carrying revolvers and shotguns."
- 4 self-loading rifle capable of automatic fire wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Capable of operating without external control or intervention.
"The automatic clothes washer was a great labor-saving device."
- 2 Done out of habit or without conscious thought.
"The reaction was automatic: flight!"
- 3 Necessary, inevitable, prescribed by logic, law, etc.
"Spitting at another player means an automatic red card."
- 4 Firing continuously as long as the trigger is pressed until ammunition is exhausted.
"Fully automatic weapons cannot be legally owned by private citizens in the US, except in very special circumstances, as by private security companies."
- 5 An autoloader; a semi-automatic or self-loading pistol, as opposed to a revolver or other manually actuated handgun, which fires one shot per pull of the trigger; distinct from machine guns.
"The US Army adopted John Browning's M1911 pistol as its sidearm, chambered in .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol)."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Automatically added to and removed from the stack during the course of function calls.
"Automatic variables are created on the stack. They are valid only from the point where they are declared to the end of the function."
- 7 Having one or more finite-state automata.
Adjective
- 1 operating with minimal human intervention; independent of external control wordnet
- 2 resembling the unthinking functioning of a machine wordnet
- 3 without volition or conscious control wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Most workers get an automatic pay raise every year."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "automatic"?
Common synonyms include: accordant, accustomed, afc, ai-driven module, algorithmic layer, algorithmic metric.
How do you use "automatic" in a sentence?
Most workers get an automatic pay raise every year.
How do you pronounce "automatic"?
Pronounced /ˌɔː.təˈmæt.ɪk/.
Etymology
Borrowed from New Latin automaticus, from Classical Latin automatum (“automaton”) + -icus (adjectival suffix), from Ancient Greek αὐτόματον (autómaton), neuter of αὐτόματος (autómatos, “self-moving, moving of oneself, self-acting, spontaneous”), from αὐτός (autós, “self, myself”) + μέμαα (mémaa, “to wish eagerly, strive, yearn, desire”). The original pronunciation, apparently with stress on the second syllable, was after the ultimate Greek base.