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. )
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.
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh MP Murray told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the errors were "inexplicable" as formal letters instructing councils to start preparing to hand over evidence "should have happened quite automatically".
From BBC
Tax software from H&R Block, TurboTax and others will automatically import last year’s data, import W-2s and 1099s, calculate deductions, check for errors, and transfer federal data to state returns.
From MarketWatch
Florida, among several other states, has enhanced life-estate deeds — known as “lady-bird deeds” — which automatically exempt all homes with such a deed from the Medicaid estate, protecting the house from subsequent Medicaid asset-recovery efforts.
From MarketWatch
If you’re going to hold on to bedside alarm clocks in a world of ubiquitous smartphones, make them clocks that automatically reset between nights or guests.
Officials also said that Snapchat’s default settings might not provide sufficient privacy, safety, and security protections for minors as teens are automatically recommended to other users and push notifications remain enabled by default.
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.