English Reference
adverb

mechanically

adv.
US /məˈkænɪkɫi/ UK /mɪkˈænɪkli/ me·chan·i·cal·ly

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Technical

    using a machine or physical force rather than doing it by hand.

    by means of a machine or physical mechanism; relating to the laws of mechanics.

    Simple

    The factory parts are mechanically sorted by a large robot arm.

    In context

    The grain is mechanically harvested and processed, ensuring a level of efficiency that manual labour could never achieve in this timeframe.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    doing something like a machine, without using your mind or showing any feeling.

    in a manner lacking spontaneity or thought; performed automatically as if by habit.

    Simple

    He was so tired that he just nodded mechanically to everything she said.

    In context

    After twenty years on the assembly line, she performed the complex sequence of movements mechanically, her mind wandering elsewhere entirely.

Since the early 1900s, diamond has generally been classified as a non-piezoelectric material, meaning it was not expected to generate an electrical voltage when mechanically deformed.

ScienceDaily· 31 Aug 2026

This phenomenon is known as "buzz pollination." Mechanically, however, what happens is surprisingly complex.

Phys.org· 11 Sept 2026

From mechanical + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated