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

2

: automatic pilot sense 2

Examples of autopilot in a Sentence

an airplane equipped with an autopilot

The plane was flying on autopilot.

Recent Examples on the Web

Travel plans, a new perspective or an unexpected opportunity to learn something exciting could shake you out of autopilot. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026

While Tesla designs its own autopilot FSD chips, Musk’s companies have never manufactured semiconductors. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026

In August 2025, a Miami federal jury ordered Tesla to pay over $240 million — including $200 million in punitive damages — in a landmark verdict, finding the company 33% partially liable for a 2019 fatal autopilot crash that killed a 22-year-old pedestrian. —John Pacenti, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026

Harrison Ford can afford to let his Social Security run on autopilot. —Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for autopilot

• eyelet
• islet
• pilot
• stylet