automatic pilot

American  

noun

1. Also called automatic, autopilot, gyropilot, robot.  Aeronautics. an airborne electronic control system that automatically maintains a preset heading and attitude.

---

idioms

1. on automatic pilot, functioning in an unthinking or reflexive manner.

automatic pilot British  

noun

1. Also called: autopilot.  a device that automatically maintains an aircraft on a preset course

2. informal acting without conscious thought because of tiredness, shock, or familiarity with the task being performed

---

Etymology

Origin of automatic pilot

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

automatic pilot

“The sailboat crew were either unable to avoid collision” or they could have been down below with Theros on automatic pilot, an anonymous source told Saltwire.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2024

Complacency and dependency on an automatic pilot seems to be a root cause of those accidents, too.

From New York Times ● Nov. 16, 2018

The Medicaid expansion, which has added about 11 million to the insurance rolls, operates more or less on automatic pilot even if costs are a concern.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 28, 2017

As for Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark and Jon Favreau's Happy Hogan, who jointly serve as Parker's mentors, their portrayals feel on automatic pilot as often as not.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2017

Our shuttle, which seemed to be flying on automatic pilot, quickly reached the planet and began to skim its mirrored surface.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline