mechanical

1 of 2

adjective

me·​chan·​i·​cal mi-ˈka-ni-kəl How to pronounce mechanical (audio)
1
a(1)
: of or relating to machinery (see machinery sense 1) or tools
mechanical applications of science
a mechanical genius
mechanical aptitude
(2)
: produced or operated by a machine or tool
mechanical power
a mechanical refrigerator
a mechanical saw
b
: of or relating to manual operations
2
: of or relating to artisans (see artisan sense 1) or machinists
the mechanical trades
3
a
: done as if by machine : seemingly uninfluenced by the mind or emotions : automatic
busy in a leisurely mechanical wayDouglas Stewart
b
: of or relating to technicalities or petty matters
nor was any capacity shown for anything above a mechanical handling of the matterH. O. Taylor
4
a
: relating to, governed by, or in accordance with the principles of mechanics
mechanical energy
b
: relating to the quantitative relations of force and matter
mechanical pressure of wind on a tower
5
: caused by, resulting from, or relating to a process that involves a purely physical as opposed to a chemical or biological change or process
mechanical erosion of rock
mechanically adverb

mechanical

2 of 2

noun

1
: a piece of finished copy consisting typically of type proofs and artwork positioned and mounted for photomechanical reproduction
2
obsolete : mechanic sense 1
Choose the Right Synonym for mechanical

spontaneous, impulsive, instinctive, automatic, mechanical mean acting or activated without deliberation.

spontaneous implies lack of prompting and connotes naturalness.

a spontaneous burst of applause

impulsive implies acting under stress of emotion or spirit of the moment.

impulsive acts of violence

instinctive stresses action involving neither judgment nor will.

blinking is an instinctive reaction

automatic implies action engaging neither the mind nor the emotions and connotes a predictable response.

his denial was automatic

mechanical stresses the lifeless, often perfunctory character of the response.

a mechanical teaching method

Examples of mechanical in a Sentence

Adjective The flight was delayed because of mechanical problems. I was impressed by her mechanical know-how. She gave a mechanical reply. Copying down the numbers is a boring and mechanical job. The actor gave a stiff and mechanical performance.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
On Monday, a United flight from Houston to Fort Meyers, Florida had to turn around because a mechanical issue led to flames spewing from the engines. Quartz Staff, Quartz, 17 Mar. 2024 The pools’ other parts are old, and last year, the facility was closed for more than 100 days due to mechanical issues. Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024 Driving through deep water can also affect a vehicle’s mechanical and electrical systems. Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Mar. 2024 Competing theories With little facts established, the disappearance of MH370 has puzzled the world and set off all kinds of theories over the years, from mechanical failure to accidental or deliberate pilot error and even some sort of hijacking. Chris Lau, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 The boom in gaming has boosted the number of companies producing mechanical keyboards which gamers love. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Musk, meanwhile, faces the prospect of having his name forever tied to a flashy, expensive truck known for mechanical failures and accidents. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 In July, Malaysian authorities released a safety investigation report concluding that the plane was manually turned around from its flight path and ruling out a mechanical or computer failure as the reason for the plane’s disappearance. Frances Vinall, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 The site gives royalties — songwriter royalties for mechanical, synch, public performance and other income sources — for two years: $261,497.39 in 2022 and $180,839.00 in 2021. Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024
Noun
Under the review, both organizations must show compliance with the Music Modernization Act, which was passed in 2018 to replace the old song-by-song licensing system for digital streaming services with a new blanket license for musical work mechanicals. Kristin Robinson, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2024 The landmark 2018 law created a new blanket license for musical work mechanicals, replacing the previous song-by-song licensing system that proved to be complicated and ineffective for both digital services and the music business. Kristin Robinson, Billboard, 18 Jan. 2024 The law created a new blanket license for musical work mechanicals, replacing the previous piece-meal licensing system that was complicated for both digital services like Spotify and Apple Music and for the music business. Kristin Robinson, Billboard, 18 Dec. 2023 Superb driving position, slick and precise mechanicals. Frank Markus, Car and Driver, 31 Aug. 2023 And the same could be said for the mechanicals, as there’s a lot of familiar hardware under that new sheet metal. Angus MacKenzie, Robb Report, 18 Aug. 2023 The mechanicals remained the same as the previous 4104 model: a 300-hp 7.7-liter V-8, a three-speed automatic transmission, and a curb weight of roughly 7000 pounds. Brendan McAleer, Car and Driver, 20 July 2023 Before mechanicals, these original action pieces relied on sand and a wheel to initiate movement. Brenda Yenke, cleveland, 13 July 2023 The space also offers storage and provides access to the HVAC system and other mechanicals. John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, 5 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mechanical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of mechanical was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near mechanical

Cite this Entry

“Mechanical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mechanical. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mechanical

adjective
me·​chan·​i·​cal
mi-ˈkan-i-kəl
1
a
: of or relating to machinery
mechanical skill
b
: made or operated by a machine or machinery
a mechanical toy
2
: done as if by machine : impersonal
gave a mechanical reply
3
: relating to or according with the principles of mechanics
mechanically
-i-k(ə-)lē
adverb

Medical Definition

mechanical

adjective
me·​chan·​i·​cal mi-ˈkan-i-kəl How to pronounce mechanical (audio)
1
: relating to the quantitative relations of force and matter
mechanical pressure exerted by the bubbles in the tissuesH. G. Armstrong
2
: caused by, resulting from, or relating to physical as opposed to biological or chemical processes or change
mechanical injury
mechanical asphyxiation
mechanically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on mechanical

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