Standard Lemma guide

automate

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɔːtəmeɪt/
  • British, Southern, Standard: /ˈoːtəmɛjt/
  • US: /ˈɔ.təˌmeɪt/ without the cot–caught merger
  • US: [ˈɔ.ɾəˌmeɪt] without the cot–caught merger
  • US: /ˈɔ.toʊˌmeɪt/ without the cot–caught merger
  • US: [ˈɔ.ɾoʊˌmeɪt] without the cot–caught merger
  • US, cot-caught-merger: /ˈɑ.təˌmeɪt/
  • US, cot-caught-merger: [ˈɑ.ɾəˌmeɪt]
  • US, cot-caught-merger: /ˈɑ.toʊˌmeɪt/
  • US, cot-caught-merger: [ˈɑ.ɾoʊˌmeɪt]
  • Canada: /ˈɒ.təˌmeɪt/
  • Canada: [ˈɒ.ɾəˌmeɪt]
  • Canada: /ˈɒ.toʊˌmeɪt/
  • Canada: [ˈɒ.ɾoʊˌmeɪt]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈoːtəmæɪt/
  • Australian, New-Zealand: [ˈoːɾəmæɪt]
  • Scotland: /ˈɔtəmet/
  • Wales: /ˈɔːtəmeːt/ without the pane–pain merger
  • rhymes with -ɔːtəmeɪt
  • CMU ARPABET: AO1 T AH0 M EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To replace or enhance human labor with machines.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

Examples

  • Many offices still need to automate.
  • We saved time and money by automating the process.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

make automatic or control or operate automatically

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • automatize the production
  • automate the movement of the robot

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: automatize, automatise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: semi-automatize, semi-automatise

History

Etymology

Back-formation from automation.

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أَتْمَتَ (ʔatmata) — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Armenian: ավտոմատացնել (avtomatacʻnel) — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Belarusian: аўтаматызава́ць (awtamatyzavácʹ) — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Bulgarian: автоматизи́рам (avtomatizíram) — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Catalan: automatitzar — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Chinese Mandarin: 自動化 /自动化 (zìdònghuà) — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Czech: automatizovat — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Czech: zautomatizovat — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Danish: automatisere — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Dutch: automatiseren — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Finnish: automatisoida — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Finnish: automaattistaa — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • French: automatiser — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Galician: automatizar — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • German: automatisieren — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Greek: αυτοματοποιήστε (aftomatopoiíste) — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Hungarian: automatizál — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Italian: automaticizzare — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Japanese: 自動化する (jidōka suru) — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Korean: 자동화하다 (jadonghwahada) — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Macedonian: автоматизи́ра (avtomatizíra) — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Māori: whakaaunoa — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Norman: automâter — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Persian: خودکاراندن — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Polish: automatyzować — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Polish: zautomatyzować — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Portuguese: automatizar — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Romanian: automatiza — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Russian: автоматизи́ровать (avtomatizírovatʹ) — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Slovak: automatizovať — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Slovak: zaautomatizovať — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Spanish: automatizar — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Swedish: automatisera — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Ukrainian: автоматизува́ти (avtomatyzuváty) — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Yiddish: אויטאָמאַטירן (oytomatirn) — to replace or enhance human labor with machines
  • Yiddish: אויטאָמירן (oytomirn) — to replace or enhance human labor with machines