# automaton

/ɔˈtɑməˌtɑn/ (US) · /ɔːtˈɒmətən/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/automaton
Updated: 2026-10-16

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

## Synonyms

robot, android

## Usage notes

- The plural form can be either 'automatons' or the classical 'automata'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.