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.

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

Etymology

Origin of mechanical

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

Explanation

Use the adjective mechanical to describe something related to machinery or tools. If your car breaks down on the same day that your watch stops, you've got a lot of mechanical problems. You’ll most often hear mechanical used to describe something involving a machine. A mechanical problem at work might mean the copier has broken down again. Mechanical can also refer to physical forces, called mechanics having to do with how things move, like the mechanical elegance of a pendulum. We also use mechanical for human things that are so tedious, repetitive or automatic that they feel like they're done by machines and not people.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mechanical

Car companies boast it’s exactly what modern buyers crave: More iPhone on wheels, less rumbling, mechanical machine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

“It’s a good signal because it reflects active positioning in the market that can have a mechanical impact on prices,” Roos said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

None of the eight met the required dimensions and mechanical strength, while some pins snapped off under force during tests.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

But that’s how I’ve always been, and I’m a mechanical thinker.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

Stalin and the Communist Party encouraged ambitious designers, daring pilots, and mechanical experts to create an industry that was exemplary throughout the world.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• automated
• automatic