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.
But alas for Walgreens, its retail business, left on autopilot for years, analysts say, has slipped—and in 2023 and 2024, the company posted a total of $11.7 billion in losses, among the highest totals of any Fortune 500 company. Phil Wahba, Fortune, 17 June 2025 And for the first time in a long while, I wasn’t stressed and on autopilot. Lisa Christen, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025 The fear of stagnation, of ending up on autopilot, a fear of repetition, of just getting stuck. William Earl, Variety, 11 June 2025 In Italy, the pair act like tourists operating on autopilot. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 June 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 1 Jul. 2025.

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