autoformat

A1U1T1O1F4O1R1M3A1T1

verb

To format (a document, etc.) automatically.

OriginEnglish format ← New Latin automaticus ← Classical Latin automatum →
UncommonScrabble 15
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Meanings

verbautoformat (third-person singular simple present autoformats, present participle autoformatting, simple past and past participle autoformatted)

present singular third person autoformats · participle present autoformatting · participle past autoformatted · past autoformatted

  1. transitivecomputingTo format (a document, etc.) automatically.
  2. transitivecomputingTo automatically prepare (a mass storage medium) for initial use, erasing any existing data in the process, without requiring a prompt from the user to do so.

Origin

  1. Proto-Hellenic*autós
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew
  3. Ancient Greekαὖ (aû)
  4. Ancient Greekτόν (tón)
  5. Ancient Greekαὐτός (autós)
  6. Ancient Greekαὐτο- (auto-)
  7. Proto-Indo-European*mn̥tós
  8. Proto-Hellenic*mətós
  9. Ancient Greekαὐτόμᾰτος (autómătos)
  10. Ancient Greekαὐτόμᾰτον (autómăton)
  11. Classical Latinautomatum
  12. New Latinautomaticus
  13. Englishautomaticclip.
  14. Englishauto-
  15. Englishformat
  16. Englishautoformat

From auto- + format.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French autoformater
  • autoformaterTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

autoformat. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autoformat

MLA

“autoformat.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autoformat. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “autoformat,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autoformat.

Source: autoformat on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.