automation
Americannoun
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the technique, method, or system of operating or controlling a process by highly automatic means, as by electronic devices, reducing human intervention to a minimum.
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a mechanical device, operated electronically, that functions automatically, without continuous input from an operator.
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act or process of automating.
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the state of being automated.
noun
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the use of methods for controlling industrial processes automatically, esp by electronically controlled systems, often reducing manpower
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the extent to which a process is so controlled
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of automation
First recorded in 1945–50; autom(atic) ( def. ) + (oper)ation ( def. )
Explanation
Automation means making something automatic, or mechanized. If there's smoke in your house and your smoke detector is set up to "call" the fire department, that's an example of automation. Car companies were the first manufacturers to use assembly lines, where the steps of building a car were divided among workers––and when those jobs started to be done more often by machines then by people, an executive at Ford coined the term automation to describe what was happening.
Vocabulary lists containing automation
To Thine Own Self Be True: Auto
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President Obama's Farewell Address
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The Industrial Revolution - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The laggards sit squarely in AI’s crosshairs: creative tools, CRM, workflow automation, and productivity software, where investors are reassessing the durability of their competitive advantages and future growth.”
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Higher interest rates do not fix any of them — and by raising the cost of capital, they discourage the investment that would, such as automation.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026
Workers are demanding salary increases, protection against subcontracting and job loss through automation, and are protesting FIFA’s collection of sensitive private information such as nationality and home addresses.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
Technology was part of the safety campaign, as traditionally labour-heavy workflows welcomed mechanisation and automation.
From BBC • May 31, 2026
Today, thanks to automation, it takes five jobs.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
