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automatic

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word automatic distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of automatic are impulsive, instinctive, mechanical, and spontaneous. While all these words mean "acting or activated without deliberation," automatic implies action engaging neither the mind nor the emotions and connotes a predictable response.

his denial was automatic

Where would impulsive be a reasonable alternative to automatic?

While the synonyms impulsive and automatic are close in meaning, impulsive implies acting under stress of emotion or spirit of the moment.

impulsive acts of violence

When could instinctive be used to replace automatic?

The words instinctive and automatic can be used in similar contexts, but instinctive stresses action involving neither judgment nor will.

blinking is an instinctive reaction

When would mechanical be a good substitute for automatic?

In some situations, the words mechanical and automatic are roughly equivalent. However, mechanical stresses the lifeless, often perfunctory character of the response.

a mechanical teaching method

When is it sensible to use spontaneous instead of automatic?

The meanings of spontaneous and automatic largely overlap; however, spontaneous implies lack of prompting and connotes naturalness.

a spontaneous burst of applause

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of automatic
Adjective
In the car world, automatics are practical and simple for the majority of commuting drivers, but enthusiasts often prefer the extra control and involvement of a clutch and a stick-shift. New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2024 For Prime Day there are a couple De’Longhi Magnifica models, the brand’s entry-level super automatics, on big sales. Noah Kaufman, Bon Appétit, 17 July 2024
Noun
This automatic feeder is specifically designed to store and schedule wet-food meals using what's essentially a mini-fridge. Molly Higgins, Wired News, 11 July 2025 Initially offering to split it three ways due to an automatic gratuity policy for large parties, Stewart was met with increasingly unreasonable requests, culminating in a demand for nine individual checks. Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for automatic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for automatic
Adjective
  • Driving through deep water can also negatively affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 10 July 2025
  • The ocean water turns red, as a (usually unseen) mechanical shark chews up people in the surf or somehow on top of a boat.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 9 July 2025
Adjective
  • All have been stopped by either coast guards, armed private security on the boats, or the two that made it to the island told me that an automated PA system yelled at them saying coast guards had been contacted and to turn back immediately.
    Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
  • The sell-off highlighted the market’s doubts over the firm’s future in an automated world, despite Julien’s best efforts, even as a big acquisition in the sector suggested a premium for the very skills Teleperformance offers.
    Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • The 34-year-old man and his 25-year-old girlfriend, both Oakland residents, were charged with being felons in possession of firearms, possessing a machine gun, and possessing property that was stolen from the U.S. Coast Guard in Oakland, court records show.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 4 July 2025
  • They're treated like a hostile force – no crowd-control measures, no tear gas – just live fire with everything imaginable: heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars.
    Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • So marketers are faced with the challenge of adapting once again to a new reality, where buying isn’t driven by emotional response but by algorithms and robotic logic.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • In a warehouse setting, this means robotic arms could inspect the contents of packages moving down a conveyor belt without unpacking them.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2025
Noun
  • One casing is a 9mm caliber, likely a pistol, or a machine pistol or a submachine gun, Weir said.
    Mohammad Al Sawalhi, CNN, 26 June 2024
  • Prosecutors said police found two weapons in the getaway car when the men were detained on a highway about 50 kilometers (30 miles) outside Amsterdam, a Heckler and Koch machine pistol and, in a Louis Vuitton bag, a blank-firing pistol that had been modified to take 9-millimeter rounds.
    MIKE CORDER, ajc, 18 Oct. 2021
Adjective
  • That leads to the second category: a simple reflex agent with state.
    John Werner, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
  • Some bass-heavy speakers can create an annoying booming sound from the reflex port at the rear of the speaker.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
Noun
  • The suit seeks to strike parts of the ordinance that ban anyone under 21 from having a handgun or ammunition and a prohibition on anyone between the ages of 18 and 20 from possessing a semiautomatic assault rifle with certain exceptions.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 27 June 2025
  • Officers with assault rifles and faces covered pulled those arrested into vans and trucks.
    Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • Relatedly, many people become more open to spontaneous thinking in the evening, when the brain is less focused and inhibited.
    Matt Fuchs, Time, 10 July 2025
  • This exhilarating transit could spark a need for spontaneous self-expression and creative freedom.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 8 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Automatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/automatic. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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