autopilot
noun
au·to·pi·lot
ˈȯ-tō-ˌpī-lət 
1
: a device for automatically steering ships, aircraft, and spacecraft
also
: the automatic control provided by such a device
Examples of autopilot in a Sentence
an airplane equipped with an autopilot
The plane was flying on autopilot.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tesla’s big differentiator is its autopilot and FSD.
—
Larry Magid, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024
The crew of a 737 Max 8 jet on autopilot momentarily lost control without warning during a flight in 2021.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 21 Mar. 2024
With smartphone control, an autopilot mode, and a gyro stabilizer, this kit turns a simple piece of paper into an advanced flying machine.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2024
Tesla recalling more than 2 million vehicles to fix a safety issue with its autopilot feature 02:28
Tesla has issued a series of recalls in recent weeks.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2024
Nearly the entire federal budget will be on autopilot, and half of all tax revenue will just go to making interest payments in a few decades.
—Dominic Pino, National Review, 30 Jan. 2024
The report notes that airlines still have pilots even though autopilot systems have been around for more than a century.
—Matt Egan, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
Tesla had to issue a software update across nearly all of its cars on U.S. roads at the end of 2023 and then 1.6 million cars in China due to issues with its autopilot system.
—Laura Bratton, Quartz, 22 Feb. 2024
The usually-trustworthy boat’s autopilot feature had broken down, forcing the 29-year-old skipper to steer the shaky tiller with her legs and man the lines of two sails with each arm while careening through one of the most treacherous stretches of the Indian Ocean.
—Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 2 Feb. 2024
Larry Magid, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024
The crew of a 737 Max 8 jet on autopilot momentarily lost control without warning during a flight in 2021.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 21 Mar. 2024
With smartphone control, an autopilot mode, and a gyro stabilizer, this kit turns a simple piece of paper into an advanced flying machine.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2024
Tesla recalling more than 2 million vehicles to fix a safety issue with its autopilot feature 02:28
Tesla has issued a series of recalls in recent weeks.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2024
Nearly the entire federal budget will be on autopilot, and half of all tax revenue will just go to making interest payments in a few decades.
—Dominic Pino, National Review, 30 Jan. 2024
The report notes that airlines still have pilots even though autopilot systems have been around for more than a century.
—Matt Egan, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
Tesla had to issue a software update across nearly all of its cars on U.S. roads at the end of 2023 and then 1.6 million cars in China due to issues with its autopilot system.
—Laura Bratton, Quartz, 22 Feb. 2024
The usually-trustworthy boat’s autopilot feature had broken down, forcing the 29-year-old skipper to steer the shaky tiller with her legs and man the lines of two sails with each arm while careening through one of the most treacherous stretches of the Indian Ocean.
—Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 2 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'autopilot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near autopilot
Cite this Entry
“Autopilot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autopilot. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share