automate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to apply the principles of automation to (a mechanical process, industry, office, etc.).
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to operate or control by automation.
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to displace or make obsolete by automation (often followed byout ).
The unskilled jobs are going to be automated out.
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of automate
First recorded in 1950–55; back formation from automation
Explanation
When you design a machine to complete a process once done by a human, you automate the process. Standardized tests once had to be graded by hand, now they're automated, i.e. done by computers. If you automate a factory, workers might lose jobs to robots and machines. A century ago, if you did laundry, you had to turn the clothes in the drum by hand. It was really hard work, so hard that in many families one day was set aside as laundry day and everyone had to help. In 1937, the first electric, or automated, washer was sold, with a motor that turned the drum. Since then, the job has become much easier, though most of us still find it a chore.
Vocabulary lists containing automate
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Do it Yourself: Words Beginning with "AUTO"
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: auto
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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.
AI agents can now automate workflows that once required dedicated software tools and teams of human operators.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
To financially prepare, I’d create a separate, high-yield savings account and automate contributions.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
Spark integrates into Google apps to automate tasks like checking credit card statements and emails.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
SAP is rolling out a new Autonomous Enterprise offering that combines an AI platform with an autonomous suite to help clients process their data and deploy AI agents to automate tasks.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
You can write script files to automate the online work further.
From The Online World by De Presno, Odd
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.
