automatically

American  

[aw-tuh-mat-ik-lee] / ˌɔ təˈmæt ɪk li /

adverb

1. without volition or from force of habit; mechanically.

   Whenever I hear that song, I automatically think of my dad.

2. by a device or process requiring no human intervention.

   The switch can be operated automatically or manually.

3. in a manner independent of a decision or action.

   Your membership will be renewed automatically.

4. (of a firearm) repeatedly for as long as the trigger is pulled.

   a rifle that fires automatically.

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Etymology

Origin of automatically

First recorded in 1710–15; automatic ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Explanation

Something that happens automatically happens in a mechanical way without a person having to do anything extra. If you walk through a door that swings open by itself, it opened automatically. When something is done automatically, it does it on its own, like a spellchecker that corrects your spelling automatically. In a crash, a car's airbag automatically fills with air. Many computers automatically go into rest mode (to save energy) if you don't touch them for a few seconds. Automatically can also refer to how you do something without thinking about it, like if you automatically walk into your old apartment and startle the new tenants.

Example Sentences

If you currently have the Barron’s app, it will automatically update to the new experience at some point over the summer.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

For example, bank accounts owned by joint tenants with right of survivorship will automatically pass to the surviving account holder, no matter what the will says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

“We can’t go around life hiding our faces, so this isn’t just next step in surveillance, it’s qualitatively different. In a world of facial recognition, when people leave their house it automatically means they’re identified.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026

A well-funded brokerage account does not automatically grant someone the legal right to speak for you in an emergency room.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

Indeed, if you coupled the genesis of spontaneous mutants—the giant-leaved Oenothera, say—with natural selection, then Darwin’s relentless engine was automatically set in motion.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• commonly
• faithfully
• frequently
• repeatedly
• routinely
• systematically
• usually