autopilot

noun

au·​to·​pi·​lot ˈȯ-tō-ˌpī-lət How to pronounce autopilot (audio)
1
: a device for automatically steering ships, aircraft, and spacecraft
also : the automatic control provided by such a device
2

Examples of autopilot in a Sentence

an airplane equipped with an autopilot The plane was flying on autopilot.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Dodgers went on autopilot and took home another NL West banner, their 12th in the last 13 tries. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025 Even so, entitlement benefits continue to expand on autopilot. Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025 And above all, treat it as a co-pilot, not an autopilot. Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 With the annual fee climbing to nearly $900, the Amex Platinum is no longer a card most travelers can keep on autopilot. Katherine Fan, AFAR Media, 18 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for autopilot

Word History

Etymology

auto- + pilot entry 1, as shortening of automatic pilot

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of autopilot was in 1917

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Autopilot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autopilot. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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