Meanings
nounautomation (countable and uncountable, plural automations)
plural automations
- countableuncountableThe act or process of converting the controlling of a machine or device to a more automatic system, such as computer or electronic controls.
The presidential campaign has been more focused on Bain Capital and an “apology tour” than on the challenges created by globalization and automation.
2012 October 24, David Leonhardt, “Standard of Living Is in the Shadows as Election Issue”, in The New York Times, →ISSN2 more examples
With all the discussion of automation, one point seems to have been largely overlooked. In a number of fields, automatic controls do not merely cut costs. They also make possible production processes that otherwise could not be attempted.
1955 June 28, “Science and Industry”, in The Atlantic, →ISSNWhen deployed by monopolies / cartels, automation institutionalizes mediocrity, and soon everyone forgets excellence and quality because they no longer have any experience of either one.
2025 February 14, Charles Hugh Smith, Automation Institutionalizes MediocritySynonyms: automatization
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe act or process of converting the controlling of a machine or device to a more automatic system, such as computer or electronic controls.
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More synonyms by meaning
nounthe act of implementing the control of equipment with advanced technology; usually involving electronic hardware
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Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew
- Proto-Indo-European*tó-
- Proto-Hellenic*autós
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew
- Ancient Greekαὖ (aû)
- Ancient Greekτόν (tón)
- Ancient Greekαὐτός (autós)
- Ancient Greekαὐτο- (auto-)
- Proto-Indo-European*men-
- Proto-Indo-European*mn̥tós
- Proto-Hellenic*mətós
- Ancient Greekαὐτόμᾰτος (autómătos)
- Ancient Greekαὐτόμᾰτον (autómăton)
- Classical Latinautomatum
- New Latinautomaticus
- Englishautomatic
- Englishautomation
From automatic + -ion or automaton + -ion; coined by a Ford Executive Vice President, Delmar S. Harder, in the 1940s.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic أَتْمَتَة, تَأْلِيَّة
- أَتْمَتَة (ʔatmata)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
- تَأْلِيَّة (taʔliyya)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Bulgarian автоматиза́ция
- автоматиза́ция (avtomatizácija)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Catalan automatització
- automatitzacióconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Chinese Mandarin 自動化 /自动化
- 自動化 /自动化 (zìdònghuà)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Czech automatizace
- automatizaceconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Danish automatik c automatisering
- automatik c automatiseringconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Dutch automatisering
- automatiseringconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Esperanto aŭtomatizo
- aŭtomatizoconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Estonian automatiseerimine
- automatiseerimineconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Finnish automaatio, automatisointi
- automaatioconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
- automatisointiconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
French automatisation
- automatisationconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
German Automatisierung
- Automatisierungconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Hebrew אוֹטוֹמַצְיָה
- אוֹטוֹמַצְיָה (otomatya)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Hindi स्वचालन
- स्वचालन (svacālan)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Hungarian automatizálás
- automatizálásconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Indonesian otomatisasi, automasi
- otomatisasiconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
- automasiconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Italian automazione, automatizzazione
- automazioneconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
- automatizzazioneconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Japanese 自動化, オートメーション
- 自動化 (jidōka)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
- オートメーション (ōtomēshon)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
- オートメ化 (ōtomeka)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Korean 자동화, 오토메이션
- 자동화 (jadonghwa)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
- 오토메이션 (otomeisyeon)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Latvian automatizācija
- automatizācijaconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Lithuanian automatizacija
- automatizacijaconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Malay automasi
- automasiconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Māori whakaaunoatanga
- whakaaunoatangaconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Norwegian Bokmål automasjon
- automasjonconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Persian خودکارسازی, اتوماسیون
- خودکارسازی (xod-kâr-sâzi)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
- اتوماسیون (otomâsyon)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Polish automatyzacja
- automatyzacjaconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Portuguese automação, automatização
- automaçãoconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
- automatizaçãoconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Romanian automatizare, automatizație
- automatizareconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
- automatizațieconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Russian автоматиза́ция
- автоматиза́ция (avtomatizácija)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Slovak automatizácia
- automatizáciaconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Spanish automatización
- automatizaciónconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Swedish automation, automatisering
- automationconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
- automatiseringconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Thai ระบบอัตโนมัติ
- ระบบอัตโนมัติ (rá-bòp-àt-dtà-noo-mát)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Turkish otomasyon
- otomasyonconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Ukrainian автоматиза́ція
- автоматиза́ція (avtomatyzácija)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Urdu خودکاری
- خودکاری (xudkārī)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Vietnamese sự tự động hóa
- sự tự động hóaconverting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Yiddish אויטאָמאַציע
- אויטאָמאַציע (oytomatsye)converting the controlling of a machine to an automatic system
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with automation
informationeducationlocationapplicationassociationadministrationorganizationcorporationregistrationAsianfoundationcommunicationpopulationnavigationstationaccommodationoperationpublicationvacationtransportationevaluationimplementationinstallationnation
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
automation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/automation
MLA
“automation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/automation. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “automation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/automation.
Source: automation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.