automation
aw-tuh-MAY-shun
/ˌɔː.təˈmeɪ.ʃən/
The use of largely automatic equipment in a system of operation or manufacturing.
Emphasizes replacing direct human physical labor or manual oversight with self-operating machinery or code.
The story behind the word. Combining Greek 'autos' (self) and '-matos' (acting), early self-moving clockwork devices were named 'automata'. Ford Motor Company executive D.S. Harder coined 'automation' around 1946 to describe automatic transfer equipment on car assembly lines.
Word relationships
- mechanization: Refers to substituting human muscle power with machines, whereas automation includes control logic and self-correction.
- robotics: Refers specifically to physical robotic machinery rather than software rules or system-wide control scripts.
- manual operation: Execution directly dependent on hands-on human labor and continuous intervention.
Commonly confused with
- mechanization: Mechanization gives tools to workers; automation replaces the need for ongoing human operational control.
Word family
- automate (verb): To convert a process or apparatus to self-operating performance.
- automated (adjective): Operated by automatic equipment or software.
Collocations
- industrial automation
- full automation
- process automation
- automation system
Example sentences
- "Widespread automation in water filtration plants allows continuous quality testing without requiring round-the-clock staffing." Facility modernization
- "City council members debated how driverless train automation would affect transit union jobs over the next decade." Transit policy debate
Memory hook
AUTO-mation = AUTO-pilot for physical or digital tasks. Setting a system to run by itself.
When not to use
Do not use when describing manual actions performed with tools; automation requires self-directed execution.
Fun facts
- The term was created when a Ford engineer truncated the cumbersome phrase 'automatic operation' for a press release.
Related words
Explore more words
manufacturing, production, redundant, algorithmic, Artificial Intelligence, industrial
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