automation

noun

au·​to·​ma·​tion ˌȯ-tə-ˈmā-shən 

1

: the technique of making an apparatus, a process, or a system operate automatically

2

: the state of being operated automatically

3

: automatically controlled operation of an apparatus, process, or system by mechanical or electronic devices that take the place of human labor

Synonyms

• mechanization
• robotization

Examples of automation in a Sentence

feared that automation would add millions to the ranks of the unemployed

Recent Examples on the Web

Humans, as a whole, are slow in data entry and far less accurate than automation software. —Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2024

Campaigner has excellent features ideal for larger businesses, including a broad range of automation options, extensive third-party integrations, 24/7 live support, and a wide selection of templates and workflows. —Gabriel Zamora, PCMAG, 25 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

perhaps blend of automatic entry 1 and operation

Note: The coinage of this word has been attributed to the Ford Motor Company executive Delmar S. Harder (1892-1973), who in the period 1947-48 was a vice president of manufacturing. In the third volume of a history of Ford by Allan Nevins and Frank Ernest Hill (Ford: Decline and Rebirth, 1933-1962 [New York, 1963], p. 354), the following account is given: "At a staff meeting in 1947 Harder suggested a new department to study the efficient handling of materials …Harder groped for a name; 'the Automated Handling Department,' he suggested, then, 'better still, the Automation Department.' This seems to have been the first significant appearance of the word. Later, Harder dated its use back to 1936, when he was at Grand Rapids with General Motors. By the diligent efforts of Ford publicity men, and his own impressive accomplishments, Harder came to be known as 'the father of automation.' John Diebold of the Harvard Business School also claims to have invented the word 'automation,' but seems to have done so, according to the Ford version, a few days later than Harder's use in 1947." Unfortunately, Nevins and Hill give no exact source for this story, though, according to a later endnote, Harder was interviewed by them on November 12, 1959. An early printed instance of automation is in an article in the trade journal American Machinist ("Ford Handles by Automation," by Rupert Le Grand, vol. 92, no. 22 [October 21, 1948], pp. 107-22). It is not certain that John Diebold, an early writer on automation, ever claimed to have coined the word; at any rate, in 1947, when the Automation Department was formed at Ford, Diebold, who was born in 1926, was an undergraduate at Swarthmore and unlikely to have been in a position to introduce the word. See also the note at automate.

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

automation

noun

au·​to·​ma·​tion ˌȯt-ə-ˈmā-shən 

1

: the method of making a device, a process, or a system operate by itself

2

: automatic operation of a device, process, or system by mechanical or electronic devices that replace human operators