Definition of autopilot
1 : a device for automatically steering ships, aircraft, and spacecraft; also : the automatic control provided by such a device
2 : automatic pilot 2
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Examples of autopilot in a Sentence
an airplane equipped with an autopilot
The plane was flying on autopilot.
Recent Examples of autopilot from the Web
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The first officer disconnected the autopilot about 300 feet above ground in preparation to land, the report said.
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In January, Tesla sued Sterling Anderson — the former head of its Autopilot self-driving software division — claiming theft of confidential information and poaching of Tesla employees to join his own autonomous vehicle start-up, Aurora Innovation.
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If a driver takes their hands off the wheel for a sustained period of time, the autopilot disengages and can't be re-enabled unless the car is stopped.
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Commercial airliners fly largely, and safely, on autopilot; Netflix and Amazon.com Inc. recommend purchases that can seem uncannily attuned to your tastes.
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To cause an uncommanded pitch input to the autopilot, press 3 now.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'autopilot'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of autopilot
1916
AUTOPILOT Defined for English Language Learners
autopilot
playDefinition of autopilot for English Language Learners
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: a device that steers a ship, aircraft, or spacecraft in place of a person
Learn More about autopilot
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about autopilot
Seen and Heard
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