mechanical

American  

[muh-kan-i-kuhl] / məˈkæn ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. having to do with machinery.

   a mechanical failure.

2. being a machine; operated by machinery.

   a mechanical toy.

3. caused by or derived from machinery.

   mechanical propulsion.

4. using machine parts only.

5. brought about by friction, abrasion, etc..

   a mechanical bond between stones; mechanical erosion.

6. pertaining to the design, use, understanding, etc., of tools and machinery.

   the mechanical trades; mechanical ability.

7. acting or performed without spontaneity, spirit, individuality, etc..

   a mechanical performance.

8. habitual; routine; automatic.

   Practice that step until it becomes mechanical.

9. belonging or pertaining to the subject matter of mechanics. mechanics.

10. pertaining to, or controlled or effected by, physical forces.

11. (of a philosopher or philosophical theory) explaining phenomena as due to mechanical action or the material forces of the universe.

12. subordinating the spiritual to the material; materialistic.

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noun

1. a mechanical object, part, device, etc.

2. Printing. a sheet of stiff paper on which has been pasted artwork and type proofs for making a printing plate; paste-up.

3. Obsolete. a skilled manual laborer, as a carpenter or other artisan.

mechanical British  

/ mɪˈkænɪkəl /

adjective

1. made, performed, or operated by or as if by a machine or machinery

   a mechanical process

2. concerned with machines or machinery

3. relating to or controlled or operated by physical forces

4. of or concerned with mechanics

5. (of a gesture, etc) automatic; lacking thought, feeling, etc

6. philosophy accounting for phenomena by physically determining forces

7. (of paper, such as newsprint) made from pulp that has been mechanically ground and contains impurities

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noun

1. printing another name for camera-ready copy

2. archaic another word for mechanic

Other Word Forms

• mechanicalism noun
• mechanicality noun
• mechanically adverb
• mechanicalness noun
• nonmechanical adjective
• nonmechanically adverb
• nonmechanicalness noun
• quasi-mechanical adjective
• quasi-mechanically adverb
• semimechanical adjective
• supermechanical adjective
• supermechanically adverb
• unmechanical adjective
• unmechanically adverb

Etymology

Origin of mechanical

1375–1425; late Middle English, equivalent to mechanic mechanical + -al ¹; mechanic

Example Sentences

The survey found the war was particularly hitting energy-intensive industries, which include the automotive, chemical, pharmaceutical and mechanical engineering sectors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

The facility had just reached mechanical completion under a $7 billion modernization program in December, and contractors were still onsite finalizing ramp-up obligations when the attacks occurred.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

He wants to be a mechanical engineer and explore the business side.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

To explore this further, the research team used three mouse models that replicate common causes of spinal degeneration: natural aging, surgically induced mechanical instability, and genetic susceptibility.

From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026

“The mermaid caught his eye. I told him it was a mechanical pencil. He was very excited about that discovery. He said it was ‘the right gift for Lucy.’”

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

Related Words

• automated
• automatic