automatic

Definition

Capable of operating without external control or intervention.

Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin automaticus, from Classical Latin automatum (“automaton”) + -icus (adjectival suffix), from Ancient Greek αὐτόματον (autómaton), neuter of αὐτόματος (autómatos, “self-moving, moving of oneself, self-acting, spontaneous”), from αὐτός (autós, “self, myself”) + μέμαα (mémaa, “to wish eagerly, strive, yearn, desire”). The original pronunciation, apparently with stress on the second syllable, was after the ultimate Greek base.

Example Sentences

• "The automatic clothes washer was a great labor-saving device."
• "The reaction was automatic: flight!"
• "Absent-minded doodling is a form of automatic art."

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