automatically
Americanadverb
-
without volition or from force of habit; mechanically.
Whenever I hear that song, I automatically think of my dad.
-
by a device or process requiring no human intervention.
The switch can be operated automatically or manually.
-
in a manner independent of a decision or action.
Your membership will be renewed automatically.
-
(of a firearm) repeatedly for as long as the trigger is pulled.
a rifle that fires automatically.
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.
Vocabulary lists containing automatically
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 1
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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.
He added that Malaysia maintains a neutral foreign policy and doesn’t automatically comply with unilateral sanctions.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
Regarding timing: Is there any financial or legal advantage to liquidating the CDs before your father passes, assuming you are permitted to do so, instead of letting them transfer automatically after death?
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
The agreement will be "automatically ratified" if approved by a majority of voters, according to the union's lawyer.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
He also said animateurs would be automatically suspended after a single complaint had been lodged.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
Josie automatically reached for her phone again, as if she could text Ivy or Lucinda—as if she could connect to the world outside in any way.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
