automatically

[aw-tuh-mat-ik-lee]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of automatically¹

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

Example Sentences

And it’s not something that I have control over but it just happens automatically,” he says.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Most of the transactions are processed automatically, but he said that about 2% require “manual stuff that humans have to go in to fix,” according to a transcript provided to Sykes by FactSet.

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Travelers who buy or are eligible for free extra-legroom seats, for example, are automatically in group 1 or 2 regardless of ticket type.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The new age-appropriate content settings mark the platform’s latest push to protect young people on the app after automatically making new teen accounts private last year.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Instagram has added more protections for teens in recent years, such as automatically making new accounts for those under 16 years old private.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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