automation
n. uncountablen. the use of machines or computers to do work that people used to do. It helps businesses finish tasks faster and with fewer mistakes.
n. the technique of making an apparatus, a process, or a system operate automatically. Often used in industrial contexts to describe the replacement of human labour with mechanical or electronic control systems.
Automation in the factory helps produce cars much faster.
The bank introduced automation for basic transactions to reduce the time customers spend waiting in line.
While industrial automation significantly increases manufacturing throughput and consistency, it simultaneously prompts complex debates regarding the future of manual labour and the necessity of workforce retraining.
From automatic + -ion or automaton + -ion; coined by a Ford Executive Vice President, Delmar S. Harder, in the 1940s.
Frequently functions as the subject or object in discussions about technology and economics; often paired with 'industrial' or 'office'.