English Meaning & Definitions
A moving mechanical device made in imitation of a human being; a robot.
- “The museum featured a collection of 18th-century clockwork automata that could write and draw.”
- “The complex automaton moved with startling lifelike precision.”
A person who operates mechanically, without active intelligence, emotion, or spontaneity.
- “Working the night shift at the assembly line turned him into a sleep-deprived automaton.”
- “She went through her daily routine like an automaton, feeling completely disconnected from her surroundings.”
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “automaton”.
Derived from the Greek word 'automatos', meaning 'acting of one's own will', composed of 'autos' (self) and 'matos' (striving, thinking). Originally referred to self-moving mechanical devices, it later evolved to describe human behavior that is mechanical and lacking conscious volition.
Think of 'auto' (self) and 'machine' combined to picture a self-operating machine.
Frequently Asked Questions About “automaton”
1. What is the meaning of “automaton” in English?
In English, automaton (noun) is defined as: “A moving mechanical device made in imitation of a human being; a robot.”.
2. How do you use “automaton” in a sentence?
“The museum featured a collection of 18th-century clockwork automata that could write and draw.”
3. What are English synonyms of “automaton”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “automaton”?
Derived from the Greek word 'automatos', meaning 'acting of one's own will', composed of 'autos' (self) and 'matos' (striving, thinking). Originally referred to self-moving mechanical devices, it later evolved to describe human behavior that is mechanical and lacking conscious volition.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.