automaton
Americannoun
plural
automatons, automata-
a mechanical figure or contrivance constructed to act as if by its own motive power; robot.
-
a person or animal that acts in a monotonous, routine manner, without active intelligence.
-
something capable of acting automatically or without an external motive force.
noun
-
a mechanical device operating under its own hidden power; robot
-
a person who acts mechanically or leads a routine monotonous life
Other Word Forms
- automatous adjective
Etymology
Origin of automaton
1605–15; < Latin: automatic device < Greek, noun use of neuter of autómatos spontaneous, acting without human agency, equivalent to auto- auto- 1 + -matos, adj. derivative from base of memonénai to intend, ménos might, force
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.
At January’s conference, robots, including Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, a 6-foot-2-inch automaton weighing in at just under 200 pounds with a digital smiley face, were the stars.
From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026
On Wednesday he was an automaton, almost like a windup toy.
From Salon • Dec. 19, 2025
But its protagonist is a machine: an automaton of a tiger attacking a British soldier, built by an Indian artisan in the late 1700s.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2023
The application was consuming me, organizing my synapses like an automaton farmer who makes Munsen predictions regarding the historical flow of neurotransmission.
From Slate • Oct. 28, 2023
The frozen automaton was dressed in a black top hat and a bright red ringmaster jacket.
From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
