automation

noun

au·​to·​ma·​tion ˌȯ-tə-ˈmā-shən How to pronounce automation (audio)
Synonyms of automationnext
1
: the technique of making an apparatus, a process, or a system operate automatically
2
: the state of being operated automatically
3
: automatically controlled operation of an apparatus, process, or system by mechanical or electronic devices that take the place of human labor

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of automation in a Sentence

feared that automation would add millions to the ranks of the unemployed
Recent Examples on the Web Some fast-food places will invest in more automation replacing labor. —Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024 The decorative craftsmanship alone astounds, but these clocks also perform jaw-dropping mechanical automations. —Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 12 Apr. 2024 The firm’s ambition to integrate automation and AI reflects a forward-thinking mindset, aiming to enhance efficiency and empower the team to take a more significant role within the company. —William Mullane, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024 The third will install a new distribution automation line switching device between the Brown Deer feeder and Teutonia feeder serving Glendale, impacting 1,400 people. —Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024 Saving on steep labor costs Labor accounts for 36% of an average restaurant’s costs, according to a March Bank of America note, and using automation to cut down on menial tasks while outsourcing labor to foreign workers could be a way to save money. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024 For Shimizu, the answer to the problem comes through robots, automation, and AI. —Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 1 Apr. 2024 Delivery drivers lose jobs and smoothies are pricier California restaurant chain owners and franchisees say that higher labor costs will force them to raise prices, add automation, cut workers' hours or even close shop. —Vanessa Romo, NPR, 1 Apr. 2024 Other chains plan to speed up their use of automation, including kiosks and robots. —Alina Selyukh, NPR, 30 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'automation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

perhaps blend of automatic entry 1 and operation

Note: The coinage of this word has been attributed to the Ford Motor Company executive Delmar S. Harder (1892-1973), who in the period 1947-48 was a vice president of manufacturing. In the third volume of a history of Ford by Allan Nevins and Frank Ernest Hill (Ford: Decline and Rebirth, 1933-1962 [New York, 1963], p. 354), the following account is given: "At a staff meeting in 1947 Harder suggested a new department to study the efficient handling of materials …Harder groped for a name; 'the Automated Handling Department,' he suggested, then, 'better still, the Automation Department.' This seems to have been the first significant appearance of the word. Later, Harder dated its use back to 1936, when he was at Grand Rapids with General Motors. By the diligent efforts of Ford publicity men, and his own impressive accomplishments, Harder came to be known as 'the father of automation.' John Diebold of the Harvard Business School also claims to have invented the word 'automation,' but seems to have done so, according to the Ford version, a few days later than Harder's use in 1947." Unfortunately, Nevins and Hill give no exact source for this story, though, according to a later endnote, Harder was interviewed by them on November 12, 1959. An early printed instance of automation is in an article in the trade journal American Machinist ("Ford Handles by Automation," by Rupert Le Grand, vol. 92, no. 22 [October 21, 1948], pp. 107-22). It is not certain that John Diebold, an early writer on automation, ever claimed to have coined the word; at any rate, in 1947, when the Automation Department was formed at Ford, Diebold, who was born in 1926, was an undergraduate at Swarthmore and unlikely to have been in a position to introduce the word. See also the note at automate.

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of automation was in 1912

Dictionary Entries Near automation

automatic writing

automation

automatism

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Automation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/automation. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

automation

noun
au·​to·​ma·​tion ˌȯt-ə-ˈmā-shən How to pronounce automation (audio)
1
: the method of making a device, a process, or a system operate by itself
2
: automatic operation of a device, process, or system by mechanical or electronic devices that replace human operators

More from Merriam-Webster on automation

Nglish: Translation of automation for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about automation

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