What does "automaton" mean?
A machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions.
Automaton
/ɔːˈtɒmətən/ noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions.
- Grammar: automaton is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abstract machine, androids, apparatus, automatic.
- Useful contrasts: continuous system, manual device, manual operation.
- Usage evidence: Lily handled it with the preciseness of an automaton.
How to use "automaton"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "automaton" 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 "automaton" 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 "automaton" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "automaton" 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 "automaton" is acting as 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 "abstract machine" 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 "automaton", 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 machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions.
"Nick had heard her play through the very beginning of it a dozen times, until he was screaming at her in his head to go on. Well, now she did, watching her own hands busying up and down the keyboard as if they were astonishing automata that she had wound up and set in motion, in perfect synchrony, to produce this silvery flow of sound."
- 2 a mechanism that can move automatically wordnet
- 3 A person who acts like a machine or robot, often defined as having a monotonous lifestyle and lacking in emotion.
"Due to her strict adherence to her daily schedule, Jessica was becoming more and more convinced that she was an automaton."
- 4 a machine that operates on its own without the need for human control wordnet
- 5 A formal system, such as a finite-state machine or cellular automaton.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 someone who acts or responds in a mechanical or apathetic way wordnet
- 7 A toy in the form of a mechanical figure.
- 8 The self-acting power of the muscular and nervous systems, by which movement is effected without intelligent determination. dated
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
continuous systemmanual devicemanual operationmanual process
Example
"Lily handled it with the preciseness of an automaton."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "automaton"?
Common synonyms include: abstract machine, androids, apparatus, automatic, bot, computational model.
How do you use "automaton" in a sentence?
Lily handled it with the preciseness of an automaton.
How do you pronounce "automaton"?
Pronounced /ɔːˈtɒmətən/.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek αὐτόματον (autómaton), neuter of αὐτόματος (autómatos, “self moving, self willed”). Doublet of automat.