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.
Some teams are running on autopilot; others are mired in firefighting. Jacob Kupietzky, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025 Mandatory spending programs run on autopilot until Congress passes a rule change and the president signs it into law. Louis Jacobson, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 The plane's autopilot system kept the aircraft in stable flight throughout the incident, although the unconscious first officer did make some inputs to the controls. Zach Wichter, USA Today, 19 May 2025 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 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 10 Jul. 2025.

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