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automatic
[ aw-tuh-mat-ik ]
adjective
- having the capability of starting, operating, moving, etc., independently:
an automatic sprinkler system; an automatic car wash.
- Physiology. occurring independently of volition, as certain muscular actions; involuntary.
- done unconsciously or from force of habit; mechanical:
an automatic application of the brakes.
- occurring spontaneously:
automatic enthusiasm.
- (of a firearm, pistol, etc.) utilizing the recoil or part of the force of the explosive to eject the spent cartridge shell, introduce a new cartridge, cock the arm, and fire it repeatedly.
noun
- a machine that operates automatically.
- Football. audible ( def 2 ).
- an automobile equipped with automatic transmission.
automatic
/ ˌɔːtəˈmætɪk; ˌɔːtəʊməˈtɪsɪtɪ /
adjective
- performed from force of habit or without conscious thought; lacking spontaneity; mechanical
an automatic smile
- (of a device, mechanism, etc) able to activate, move, or regulate itself
- (of an act or process) performed by such automatic equipment
- (of the action of a muscle, gland, etc) involuntary or reflex
- occurring as a necessary consequence
promotion is automatic after a year
- of a firearm
- utilizing some of the force of or gas from each explosion to eject the empty shell case, replace it with a new one, and fire continuously until release of the trigger Compare semiautomatic
- short for semiautomatic See also machine
noun
- an automatic firearm
- a motor vehicle having automatic transmission
- a machine that operates automatically
Derived Forms
- automaticity, noun
- ˌautoˈmatically, adverb
Other Word Forms
- au·to·mat·i·cal·ly adverb
- au·to·ma·tic·i·ty [aw-t, uh, -m, uh, -, tis, -i-tee], noun
- non·au·to·mat·ic adjective
- non·au·to·mat·i·cal·ly adverb
- qua·si-au·to·mat·ic adjective
- qua·si-au·to·mat·i·cal·ly adverb
- sub·au·to·mat·ic adjective
- sub·au·to·mat·i·cal·ly adverb
- un·au·to·mat·ic adjective
- un·au·to·mat·i·cal·ly adverb
Word History and Origins
Origin of automatic1
Word History and Origins
Origin of automatic1
Idioms and Phrases
- on automatic, being operated or controlled by or as if by an automatic device.
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
“I’ve seen some of the stuff like, you know, that it’s an automatic play. I almost feel a little insulted because we work so hard at that play,” he said.
The panel said that issue was no longer in play because state law prohibits such automatic notification policies — prioritizing instead the privacy rights of the student.
As a result, like other older teenagers who are asylum seekers, there is no automatic access to education and specialised support for them.
Since Brexit, British travellers at EU airports have generally been forced to have their passport stamped at manned desks, rather than use automatic gates with facial recognition technology.
A goalkeeper handling the ball outside the box is not an automatic red card and VAR can only call the decision back for a dismissal, but decided Haaland was not denied a clear goalscoring opportunity.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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