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

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

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