automation

American  

[aw-tuh-mey-shuhn] / ˌɔ təˈmeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the technique, method, or system of operating or controlling a process by highly automatic means, as by electronic devices, reducing human intervention to a minimum.

2. a mechanical device, operated electronically, that functions automatically, without continuous input from an operator.

3. act or process of automating.

4. the state of being automated.

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automation British  

/ ˌɔːtəˈmeɪʃən /

noun

1. the use of methods for controlling industrial processes automatically, esp by electronically controlled systems, often reducing manpower

2. the extent to which a process is so controlled

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Other Word Forms

• proautomation adjective

Etymology

Origin of automation

First recorded in 1945–50; autom(atic) ( def. ) + (oper)ation ( def. )

Example Sentences

Major American companies, he said, are already planning to eliminate a significant number of back-office and middle-management jobs through automation, and competitive pressure means they have little choice.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Across India, the quiet machinery of automation has been reshaping - and in many cases, eliminating - the jobs that the middle class was built on.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

China’s automation of the physical world and the rest of the world outside of the U.S. involves very large markets in terms of geography and things that can move and need energy.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

All measurements of the magnetic vortices and analysis of data from multiple instruments were carried out using the Labmule program developed at HZDR, which is available as a lab automation tool.

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026

An astonishing amount of the ship ran on automation.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

Related Words

• computerization
• industrialization
• mechanization