programmatic
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, consisting of, or resembling program music.
-
of, having, advocating, resembling, or following a plan, policy, or program.
programmatic art.
-
of, relating to, or employing a computer program.
The coders found a programmatic solution to automate data processing.
adjective
-
of or relating to programme music
-
of or relating to a programme
Usage
What does programmatic mean? Programmatic is most commonly used to describe things done using a computer program. In computing, a program is a sequence of instructions (called code) that enable a computer to perform a task. Programmatic is used to refer to tasks that can be done in an automated way (using such programs), especially as opposed to tasks that have to be done manually (by a person). Program is a common word that has many other meanings, and programmatic can also refer to anything involving or using a plan. More specifically but less commonly, it can be used to describe something involving program music, which is music intended to convey an impression of a definite series of images, scenes, or events. Example: Instead of reading every cell in the spreadsheet to look for duplicates, you can filter them out programmatically.
Other Word Forms
- nonprogrammatic adjective
- programmatically adverb
- unprogrammatic adjective
Etymology
Origin of programmatic
1895–1900; < Greek programmat- (stem of prógramma ) program + -ic
Explanation
Anything that's scheduled or planned is programmatic, like the programmatic commercials that interrupt your favorite network TV show just when things are getting suspenseful. This adjective can describe things that seem planned out or programmed, rather than spontaneous: "The tour was so programmatic — it felt like our guide had repeated the exact same words a hundred times." Sometimes it means "deliberate and methodical," like the programmatic bombing of a city during wartime. But it's also used for a kind of music that tells a story using instruments instead of words, like Prokofiev's famous programmatic composition Peter and the Wolf.
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.
The U.K. plans to sell gilts maturing in June 2032 by programmatic tender on Tuesday, followed by an auction of October 2035 gilts on Wednesday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025
Belflower began the play as the #MeToo movement was gaining momentum, but she has too much humor and sympathy to write a programmatic screed.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2025
On its official website, Doge states that it has saved an estimated $105bn, from fraud detection, contract and grant cancellations, real estate lease terminations, asset sales, workforce reductions, programmatic changes, and regulatory savings.
From BBC • Mar. 5, 2025
They’re approachable and engaging, and while she’s working within the recognizable parameters of the classic art film — her stories are elliptical, her authorship unambiguous — there’s nothing programmatic about her work.
From New York Times • Mar. 28, 2024
And something else made it worth throwing in money and programmatic support.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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.
