automatically

American  

[aw-tuh-mat-ik-lee] / ˌɔ təˈmæt ɪk li /

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.

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

automatically

The laboratory results do not yet mean that treating a house with bistrifluron will automatically produce the same mortality rates.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

For international student and graduate visas, Burke said: "We will no longer be adding to the stock of students automatically being able to bring family members over."

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Doctors in England are now able to prescribe it, with Wales expected to follow shortly but the guidance doesn't automatically apply to Northern Ireland.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Suggested actions will pop up automatically for certain items: Snap a snack or dish to see its nutritional value; snap a receipt to calculate how to split the bill.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

And then one of the roof windows automatically slid open.

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown

Related Words

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