Word
automaton
Phoneticsau·tom·a·ton, stress on the second syllable
US/ɔˈtɑməˌtɑn/
UK/ɔːtˈɒmətən/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a machine that moves by itself, often built to look like a human or animal. You might also use this word to describe a person who acts mechanically without thinking or feeling.
n. a self-operating machine or mechanism designed to follow a predetermined sequence of actions. Frequently used metaphorically to describe a person who acts in a monotonous, unthinking, or robotic manner.
Examples
“The old clock features a small wooden automaton that strikes the bell.”
“The museum displayed an 18th-century automaton capable of writing complex sentences with a quill pen.”
“Social critics of the industrial era often feared that repetitive factory work would reduce the vibrant worker to a mere automaton, devoid of creative agency.”
Examples
simple
“The old clock features a small wooden automaton that strikes the bell.”
contextual
“The museum displayed an 18th-century automaton capable of writing complex sentences with a quill pen.”
complex
“Social critics of the industrial era often feared that repetitive factory work would reduce the vibrant worker to a mere automaton, devoid of creative agency.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “automaton” in context.
Verb
01. automaton functions
“The automaton functions using a complex series of internal gears.”
noun + verb
02. automaton mimics
“The automaton mimics human speech with surprising accuracy.”
noun + verb
03. program automaton
“Engineers had to program the automaton to perform delicate surgical tasks.”
verb + noun
04. resemble automaton
“His stiff movements made him resemble a primitive automaton.”
verb + noun
Adjective
05. human automaton
“Under the dictator's rule, citizens were expected to act as human automata.”
adj + noun
06. mechanical automaton
“The museum features a 19th-century mechanical automaton that can write poetry.”
adj + noun
07. mindless automaton
“The workers were treated as mindless automata rather than human beings.”
adj + noun
08. soulless automaton
“He felt like a soulless automaton, repeating the same office tasks every day.”
adj + noun
Noun
09. movement of automaton
“The jerky movement of the automaton betrayed its mechanical nature.”
noun + prep + noun
10. behave like an automaton
“Exhausted by the routine, she began to behave like an automaton.”
11. reduce someone to an automaton
“The repetitive factory work threatened to reduce him to a mere automaton.”
Usage
The plural form can be either 'automatons' or the classical 'automata'.
Real-World Examples
“The automaton, which contains more than 2,000 moving parts, used to perform every day until 2020 when it seized up during lockdown.” “MTurk, as it is known, is named after an 18th Century chess-playing automaton which toured Europe - but was later revealed to have a human behind it.” “Factories have had robots since 1961, when General Motors installed the first Unimate, a one-armed automaton that was used for tasks like welding.” “An 18th Century automaton that could beat human chess opponents seemingly marked the arrival of artificial intelligence.” Etymology
From the Ancient Greek αὐτόματον (autómaton), the neuter form of αὐτόματος (autómatos, “self moving, self willed”), the term entered English as a description for that which functions without external agency. It remains a doublet of the word automat.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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