noun · 7 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.
ô-tŏm'ə-tən
ô-tŏm'ə-tŏn
ə-tŏm'ə-tŏn
/ɔːˈtɒmətən/
/-ˌtɒn/
/ə-/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AO0 T AA1 M AH0 T AA2 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A person who acts like a machine or robot, often defined as having a monotonous lifestyle and lacking in emotion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Due to her strict adherence to her daily schedule, Jessica was becoming more and more convinced that she was an automaton.
July 12, 1816, Thomas Jefferson, letter to Samuel Kercheval Monticello A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent for a second, that second for a third, and so on 'til the bulk of the society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery, to have no sensibilities left but for sinning and suffering.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A formal system, such as a finite-state machine or cellular automaton.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A toy in the form of a mechanical figure.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
The self-acting power of the muscular and nervous systems, by which movement is effected without intelligent determination.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
a mechanism that can move automatically
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: robot, golem
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: mechanism
Narrower terms: android, humanoid, mechanical man
7
noun
Meaning 7
someone who acts or responds in a mechanical or apathetic way
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
only an automaton wouldn't have noticed
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: zombi, zombie
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: anomaly, unusual person
History
Etymology
From Ancient Greek αὐτόματον (autómaton), neuter of αὐτόματος (autómatos, “self moving, self willed”). Doublet of automat.
Across languages
Translations
97 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
automat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Arabic:
آلَة ذَاتِيَّة تَشْغِيل
(ʔāla ḏātiyya tašḡīl)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Arabic:
أُوتُومَاتُون
(ʔūtūmātūn)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Armenian:
ավտոմատ
(avtomat)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Azerbaijani:
avtomat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Belarusian:
аўтама́т
(awtamát)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Bulgarian:
автома́т
(avtomát)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Catalan:
autòmat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Cherokee:
ᏔᎷᎩᏍᎩ ᏴᏫ
(talugisgi yvwi)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Chinese Mandarin:
自動機器 /自动机器
(zìdòng jīqì)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Czech:
automat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Danish:
automat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Dutch:
automaat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Esperanto:
aŭtomato
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Estonian:
automaat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Finnish:
automaatti
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
French:
automate
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Georgian:
ავტომატი
(avṭomaṭi)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
German:
Automat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Greek:
αυτόματον
(aftómaton)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Ancient Greek:
αὐτόματον
(autómaton)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Hindi:
स्वचालित यंत्र
(svacālit yantra)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Hindi:
यंत्र मानव
(yantra mānav)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Hindi:
मशीनी मानव
(maśīnī mānav)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Hindi:
आटोमैटिक मशीन
(āṭomaiṭik maśīn)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Hungarian:
automata
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Icelandic:
sjálfvirki
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Icelandic:
vélmenni
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Ido:
automato
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Indonesian:
otomat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Italian:
automa
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Japanese:
オートマトン
(ōtomaton)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Japanese:
自動機械
(jidō-kikai)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Kazakh:
автомат
(avtomat)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Korean:
자동기계
(jadonggigye)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Korean:
오토머튼
(otomeoteun)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Kyrgyz:
автомат
(avtomat)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Lao:
ຫຸ່ນຍົນ
(hun nyon)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Latin:
automatum
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Latin:
automaton
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Latvian:
automāts
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Lithuanian:
automatas
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Macedonian:
автома́т
(avtomát)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Malay:
automaton
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Mongolian:
автомат
(avtomat)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Norwegian Bokmål:
automat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Iranian Persian:
خودْکارِه
(xodkâre)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Iranian Persian:
ماشینِ خودْکار
(mâšin-e xodkâr)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Polish:
automat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Brazilian Portuguese:
autômato
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
European Portuguese:
autómato
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Romanian:
automat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Russian:
автома́т
(avtomát)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Serbo-Croatian:
ауто̀ма̄т
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Serbo-Croatian:
autòmāt
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Slovak:
automat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Slovene:
avtomat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Spanish:
autómata
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Swedish:
automat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Tajik:
автомат
(avtomat)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Tajik:
худкора
(xudkora)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Tajik:
мошини худкор
(mošin-i xudkor)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Tajik:
мошини автоматӣ
(mošin-i avtomati)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Thai:
หุ่นสมองกล
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Thai:
หุ่นยนต์
(hùn-yon)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Thai:
เครื่องอัตโนมัติ
(krʉ̂ʉang àt-dtà-noo-mát)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Turkish:
otomat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Turkmen:
awtomat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Ukrainian:
автома́т
(avtomát)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Uyghur:
ئاۋتومات
(awtomat)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Uzbek:
avtomat
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Yiddish:
אויטאָמאַט
(oytomat)
— machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions
Bulgarian:
робо́т
(robót)
— person who acts like a machine or robot
French:
automate
— person who acts like a machine or robot
Italian:
automa
— person who acts like a machine or robot
Malay:
automaton
— person who acts like a machine or robot
Polish:
automat
— person who acts like a machine or robot
Russian:
ро́бот
(róbot)
— person who acts like a machine or robot
Spanish:
autómata
— person who acts like a machine or robot
Bulgarian:
автома́т
(avtomát)
— formal system
Chinese Mandarin:
自動機 /自动机
(zìdòngjī)
— formal system
Czech:
automat
— formal system
Finnish:
automaatti
— formal system
French:
automate
— formal system
Hungarian:
automata
— formal system
Italian:
automa
— formal system
Japanese:
オートマトン
(ōtomaton)
— formal system
Korean:
오토매톤
(otomaeton)
— formal system
Macedonian:
автома́т
(avtomát)
— formal system
Brazilian Portuguese:
autômato
— formal system
European Portuguese:
autómato
— formal system
Romanian:
automat
— formal system
Russian:
автома́т
(avtomát)
— formal system
Swedish:
automat
— formal system
French:
automate
— toy in the form of a mechanical figure
Brazilian Portuguese:
autômato
— toy in the form of a mechanical figure
European Portuguese:
autómato
— toy in the form of a mechanical figure
