automation

noun

au·​to·​ma·​tion ˌȯ-tə-ˈmā-shən How to pronounce automation (audio)
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

Examples of automation in a Sentence

feared that automation would add millions to the ranks of the unemployed
Recent Examples on the Web While almost all major automakers have a version of partial automation technology, most are limited in their capabilities and restricted for use on highways. Akash Sriram and Abhirup Roy, USA TODAY, 5 Oct. 2024 The union had been demanding a 77% raise over six years, plus a complete ban on the use of automation at the ports, which members see as a threat to their jobs. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2024 The two sides will still need to come to terms on the question of automation, which has emerged as a more existential issue. Phil Helsel, NBC News, 3 Oct. 2024 Labour productivity should be boosted by at least five percent by next year, via automation, mechanisation and reducing absenteeism, according to the firm. Afp, Fortune Europe, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for automation 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'automation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of automation was in 1912

Dictionary Entries Near automation

Cite this Entry

“Automation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/automation. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

automation

noun
au·​to·​ma·​tion ˌȯt-ə-ˈmā-shən How to pronounce automation (audio)
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

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